Shattered World
by Katsuargi
Summary: A superficial look sees that with the defeat of Fire Lord Ozai and the crowning of Zuko, the world is at peace and balance has been returned. But those that look a little closer see that things are never that simple.
1. Azula

A clashing sound from the room behind, and the sigh of a guard standing by the bared door. The flickering torch light cast shadows across his face, and a slight clank of metal on glimmering metal sounded as he shifted his weight. To one that had been here before, that was all that was needed to tell them the situation: the former princess was acting up today.

The Fire Lord shook his head and mirrored the guards sigh as he pushed some loose bangs out of his eyes. These meetings were something that he would rather avoid, but there were a pair of women in his life that wouldn't let that be a possibility, and one of them was his wife. Fire Lord or no, there were certain ultimatums one's wife could present them that couldn't be ignored.

Back down the hall, his sigh reached the guard near the door, who snapped to attention quickly while doing his best not to appear indignant. A crash echoed from the room behind him, and his postured became straighter, glancing towards the Fire Lord with concern. "Fire Lord Zuko, I don't know if now would be the best time for you to go in. She didn't appreciate todays....treatment."

Zuko shook his head somewhat dismissively and patted the guard on the shoulder. "The chains are secure, right?" The question was for the guards comfort, rather than his own. Secure or not, his sister was no longer any danger to himself...or anyone else but herself.

"Yes sire, of course." The guard tapped his spear on the ground, and after a moment the door opened up. There were still those in the nation loyal to the fallen princess, and remote control over her cell door was the only way to ensure the wrong rotation of guards didn't see her free.

The room was, as one would expect, gloomy on the inside, only the light of the hall spilling through the bars providing illumination. No windows were present in the small cell, and the only real adornment was the cage in the back. Five feet in all directions, it was only because the occupant was shackled and on her knees that the room was sufficient.

If the situation wasn't as serious as it was, Zuko would have had a laugh at the irony. Azula had once been a terror to behold, a lithe form perfectly sculpted for the bending that she had spent her life mastering. Her form, attitude and relentlessness had ensured that those she perused gave her proper respect, and most of the world feared her.

But now, here she was, bound and helpless. Her once lithe, muscled body had slowly decayed, leaving her as little more than skin and bones. Blood dripped from her chained wrists from where she fought against them. Her once perfectly kept hair was a tangled mess dangling in all directions, and her head always held high was now hung towards the floor. His eyes drifted over her body, noticing several fresh bruises.

"Come to gloat, dear brother?" The voice was whispered, as though half said to herself. But the fact she was talking today indicated that she was more lucid than usual. From what he had heard, most of the time she was lucky to be coherent of the world around her.

Zuko stood tall and gazed at her hung head. "No Azula." He retorted sternly. She was trying to bait him, get a reaction out of him. That was how Azula worked. Resisting jumping through her hoops caused her more pain than any words could.

"How merciful the great Firelord Zuzu is." She started to laugh, but any false mirth was cut short as a series of harsh coughs racked her body. It took her a few moments to compose herself, and then came her voice, full of bitterness. "Using his right to have his sister beaten, but being gracious enough to not hold it over her head."

Zuko's composure remained strong, and his voice remained steady. "You know, I wouldn't have to have you punished if you didn't try to escape." It was unfortunate for both of them. There were days when she was docile, and days when she was incoherent enough not to realize what was going on. But there was also the rare day when her mind was entirely together and she attempted to mount a resistance. There were few guards in the correctional force that didn't have scars from her nails and teeth, earned in moment of false security.

It wasn't as though she could actually escape. Even if she got out the door, there were several more checkpoints just to get into the correctional facility proper. The wing of the building had been specifically built to keep her locked away.

"Your right Zuzu. I should be content with this little cell of mine, and the slop that I'm lucky to be fed once a day. I'm such a terrible and dangerous person, dear Zuzu." He saw her inhale sharply. It was a game she was good at playing, a role she had much practice with. Calm and collected, entirely in control of the situation. But he could see the torrent raging inside of her.

"You are and always will be, Azula," came the straight and simple response. Mentally he chided himself for it a moment after though, realizing that he had taken her bait this time, and told her something that she wanted to hear.

Her head rose, eyes darting to find his. Mentally, it actually took him aback, for despite what the rest of her looked like, in this moment her eyes were the same as they always were in the past. Confident and secure, but with that same fire clear behind them. "You are afraid of me, Zuzu. Thats why you have me chained in here away from everyone. Thats why you had the avatar take away my Firebending. Thats why you're just going to leave me here until I die and I'm no longer a thorn in your side."

Zuko's body tensed and he drew himself up as large as he could, voice raising to a bark. "I'm not afraid of you Azula, and never have been. I faced you head on during Sozin's comet and earned the right to rule the Fire Nation. The world is safe from people like you!"

The fire faded from her eyes and all that remained was a cool, knowing gaze and smile. "Oh Zuzu. Is that your famous diplomacy I occasionally hear word of? Tell me, how are the diplomatic meetings going?"

He bit his tongue and didn't respond, realizing that he had fallen far enough into the trap that she had laid for him. He considered a retort but decided against it, knowing better than to play her game. She had gained control of this discussion, continuing down the road would just feed her feeling of power. Instead he turned without a word and headed for the door.

"Oh Zuzu, leaving already? Unable to hold your own in a little battle of verbal wit and claiming victory by displaying you can leave and I can't?" Her tone of her voice was like ice, almost giving him a chill, and trailed off as though she was thinking. "I wonder if you've bothered mentioning that little tidbit to anyone? Knowing how your mind works, you've probably blocked it out."

He paused, and knowing he would regret it, turned his head to look back over his shoulder. "Oh, and what would that be, Azula?"

"That you didn't win that little duel, dear brother. Our Agni Kai to determine the right to the throne... no, that was the Avatar's little water bender that won that one. If anyone won my right to the throne, it was her, not you, older brother." Her voice was like acid.

In spite of himself, he spun around and lashed out, the only thing sparing Azula from the fire that he threw being the door closing to seal her back in. He breathed heavily for a moment, raging eyes glaring into her icy ones. He took a moment to calm himself and relax his breathing.

"Get used to your cell Azula, and if you try to escape again, you'll be sorry." And with that, he stormed off, the sound of laughter chasing down the hall after him.


	2. Mai

She was waiting on him when he returned, not that he was surprised. She was the one that had demanded that he went to see her, though he knew that had come originally from Ty-Lee. Mai might have, at one time, actually care somewhat for Azula... but she was a practical woman. When she cut her aligiance from her, she cut everything she might have felt out as well. It was only because she cared about Ty-Lee that she had mentioned anything at all.

"How did it go?" Her eyes raised as he entered, glancing up from a draft of one of the various treaties that they were discussing. A glance told him that it was related to reperations towards the Water Tribes, something that was currently a sore spot for the two nations.

"It...went." He said as cool as he could. He knew it wouldn't help. Mai was naturally gifted at reading people to begin with. Being his wife gave her further insight into him specifically. The slight raise in her eyebrows told him she saw through his calm exterior.

"How is Azula's treatment coming along Zuko? Is she showing any progress?" Mai was listening to him, but he could see her eyes darting over the pages even as they spoke. Azula was in her past, the nation was what needed her attention now.

His eyes drifted away and he hung his head slightly, showing a sign of defeat. "No. Shes still as defiant and dangerous as she was when we put her in for rehabilitation." He walked around to behind her chair and crouched down, reached around it and holding her in a small embrace.

"Don't feel ashamed, Zuko. Shes only been getting treatment for a little under a year now. These things take time." She looked back up from her work and turned to look at him. "Though, there should be some improvement. Did you talk to her doctor while you were there?"

The hair on the back of Zuko's neck stood up a bit. He had considered telling her the truth in the past. She might be slightly upset, but she wouldn't have voiced more than minor objections. But if she knew, it would get to Ty-Lee. Unfortunately for him, while nothing would be done, Ty-Lee being upset would bother Mai, and might place some strain on their relationship. It was better if he kept her on the dark, at least on this one.

"Yeah, I spoke with him briefly." He lowered his gaze again. "He says that the seriousness of her mental break was severe. She might not ever be fully functional again. We might have to leave her in there for the rest of her life."

Mai paused a moment, seeming to be slightly bothered by the news and then sighed. "Ty-Lee won't like that. I think besides you, and me to a small extent, shes the only one that really cares what happens to her. Ty's soft heart has always gotten her hurt. Theres no way to explain to her that Azula doesn't deserve her care."

He kissed her gently on the forehead before standing and walking to look out the window, letting his gaze take in the capital city below. "I know Mai... but we can't dwell on this too long. Hows the treaty proposals look?"

Mai glanced back down, concern fading, replaced with a much deeper care. "Not good Zuko. Theres been talk of cutting off the trade agreements we managed to sort out last month." She sighed. "What did you expect to happen when you stormed out of the negotiations?"

He growled. "Their demands were unreasonable, and they wouldn't listen to me when I tried to explain that. They just kept going on about everything that we owed them, and that how I personally was responsible for making sure the Southern Tribe was properly assisted."

Mai eyes raised to face him. "I know that you don't like to be reminded of what you did, but you did cause a lot of damage to their tribe, and the Fire Nation as a whole nearly enslaved the entire world. We're going to have to give some concession if we want there to be any hope of peace."

He threw his hands up in the air. "I know that Mai! But we can't put ourselves so far out that our own nation falls into poverty and disorder. We owe the world, but we don't own them our own stability!"

She sighed once more, and he quickly lost his steam looking at her. Things had been tense the past few months between them, as more of the negotiations became rocky. Some of it was natural, but even Zuko had to admit to himself that he had been responsible for a little of it.

"I know Zuko, I know." She looked back down at the papers and then back up at him. "But you have to see things from their perspective. The World almost lost its moon because of us, the earth nation was nearly destroyed. We might have to chop off our arm to save the rest of the body."

He growled and went to say something, but she cut him off. "Look, Zuko, why don't you let a few of our more experienced negotiators sit in the meetings with you? They could help...balance things out."

There was a brief flicker of genuine anger before Zuko controlled himself. "Mai, I know your looking out for my best interests, but I am Fire Lord. I will handle the Negotiations myself and make sure that the world is fixed and stable without us having to sacrifice ourself to do it."

He turned and started towards the door, time running short. Most of his days were spent in meetings with various officals and nobles from each of the nations. Having to take time with Azula had cut into what little time he had free to spend with Mai. "I have to go. We're meeting with the Bei Fong family today."

"Oh, right. I knew they were in town." She said, the change in subject allowing both of them to be more calm than they had been. "Is Lady Toph with them today?"

Zuko genuinely laughed. "Noble family or not, the last thing Toph is, is a Lady." He reached the doors and opened them, turning back to look at her. "But no, shes not attending the meeting. Toph never really had much of a taste for politics. I hear shes back to her old games at the arena fights."

"Ah. Well, take care then Zuko." She let a little grin cross her face. "Are we still meeting tonight for dinner and some alone time?"

Zuko chided himself a bit, for forgetting about their arrangement. "No. I'm sorry Mai. I'm going to meet with my uncle tonight. He sent for me, saying that he wanted to see me."

Mai's smile didn't drop. "I see. Well then, enjoy yourself Zuko, and listen to your uncle. He has a lot he can teach you if you pay attention. I'll see you in a few days?"

"Yeah. I'll make it up to you when I can. You know how our schedules are." He turned to leave before pausing for a moment. "Make sure to take some time out to confort Ty-Lee. I know how important she is to you."

Mai nodded and went back to being busy with her reports. The doors closed behind him as Zuko left, headed towards one of the few people he could genuinely say he loved.


	3. Ty Lee

A few minutes after Zuko left the room, Mai put down the papers and stood, walking to look out the same window he had been focused on earlier. A long sigh escaped from her lips as she shook her head. She loved Zuko, she really did, but his pride was causing problems for them. If the war hadn't happened, his stubbornness could be written off as a eccentricity. But with things as they were now... she wasn't sure how things were going to play out.

She walked to a small desk in the corner where she kept her personal things and retrieved a quill and some parchment. "Dear General Iroh." She began. "I appreciate you taking my request and calling my husband down for a talk, and I appreciate more that you are choosing to keep the fact that it is at my request a secret. As we both know, your nephew is a very proud man, and I think your the only one that can get through to him. I know I don't have to ask you to be careful, you are more or less his father. With best wishes and deep gratitude, Fire Lady Mai."

If Zuko found out it had been her idea, he would be livid. But as it was, she was sure that Iroh would gently ease into how things were going, and offer Zuko some of the wisdom that had saved her husband from some of the worst trouble of his life. And she hoped for everyones sake that Zuko took his uncles words to heart.

She stood and stretched briefly before retrieving her Fire Nation crown and heading for the door. As soon as stepping through, she turned to her personal guard, handpicked by herself, and handed him the letter. "Please see that gets sent off securely."

The guard nodded obediently. "And will that be all, Fire Lady?" His body was held stiff and solid at attention, very well trained and loyal to her family.

"No. I also would like you to have word sent to Lady Ty-Lee that I will be coming to visit her at her families estate within the hour. Also, have a cart pulled to the front for me." She mentally sighed. She was really not looking forwards to telling Ty-Lee the news.

"At once Fire Lady." He nodded quickly and then was off down the hall. The letters would be sent by her personal bird, Scylla. One had to have people that could be trusted to keep secrets when holding important positions.

She took her time to make it to the front, making small talk with a few of the minor nobles and generals as she preceded through. She was stalling to give enough time for the cart to be brought around, and to put off seeing Ty.

Eventually she ran out of palace and found herself in the cart heading in that direction. Ty Lee's family home was on the outer rim of the Noble's district, which gave Mai a few more minutes to compose herself and look over a few of the trading proposals before arriving.

Ty had spent the first six months after the war on Kiyoshi Island being inducted into the Kiyoshi warriors and receiving her training. Already a formidable fighter, it hadn't taken her long to master the skill set that they practiced. There hadn't been a week gone by that she hadn't inquired about Azula by mail, however, and as an extent Mai asking Zuko. It had taken a nearly a year to convince him to see his sister, and she almost wished that he had continued to refuse.

She saw Ty Lee standing by the gates to her families estate and called out to her. "Mai!" Ty Lee was ecstatic, as Mai knew she would be. It had been almost a month since she had time to come visit her friend, and Ty Lee wasn't one to enjoy time spent apart.

"How have you been?" Ty Lee's charismatic grin was spread crossed her face as she leaped to hug Mai in a most undignified way.

Mai felt the weight crash against her and stumbled back a step, feeling the arm of one of her bodyguards brace her from falling back against the cart. One would think she would have gotten used to this by now, but there was no real getting used to Ty Lee's overwhelming enthusiasm.

"Ty Lee. Its good to see you again." She said with a soft, quick smile, patting her on the back before pushing her a little away and brushing herself a bit, straightening her clothes.

"Are things with the other nations finally clearing up?" Mai had voiced her concerns with little detail to Ty a few times in the past, but she had picked up that it was really bothering her, and eating up most of her time.

"Sort of. We've worked out a few things, but some more things fell through..." She trailed off. "Its nothing you'd really be interested in Ty Lee. Just be satisfied with I'm working on it." Ty nodded understandingly.

"How's Zuko?" An obvious next question, and with anyone else just a pleasantry, but she doubted if the word pleasantry actually had any meaning where Ty was concerned.

"My husband is well." She nodded contently. " He's currently off visiting with his uncle, and I thought it would be a good time to come visit you."

Ty smile grew, and Mai knew that she was just barely containing her urge to jump on her and hug her again. "I'm so glad your keeping me in mind Mai! Come on, theres all sorts of fun things we can do. I've learned..."

Mai raised her hand, and Ty Lee stopped as she saw how serious Mai's expression had become. "Look, Ty Lee, while I wish this was just a pleasant drop in, but...lets sit, if you don't mind."

Ty's expression grew worried as she nodded a little unsure of the situation and turned to lead Mai into her families estate. Once inside, servants quickly attend to them seating them in the living room and seeing that they were brought fresh tea.

"So..." Ty said, twiddling her thumbs and looking somewhat uncomfortable. "Its about Azula, isn't it?" Ty Lee stopped squirming and set perfectly still, her wide, round eyes looking at her with concern.

Mai raised her eyes from the tea that she had raised up and her eyes softened. "Yes Ty Lee, it is." She sipped at her drink before placing it on the table and dropped a sugar cube in it, lightning the flavor a bit.

"You know I've been doing my best to have Zuko visit and check up on Azula." Ty nodded, listening intently. "Well, he finally gave in and went to see her, and Ty Lee... its not good." Ty's soft eyes let their gaze fall to the floor, and all she managed was an "Oh..."

"I'm sorry Ty." Mai said, her voice sincere in all regards. She cared little for Azula, but Ty Lee would always be her closest friend. "The doctor said the damage is severe. You have to realize her world kind of shattered and..."

Ty Lee spoke up softly, cutting her off. "Because of us. Because we betrayed her." She was tearing up a bit, and Mai somewhat regretted coming. But she knew she couldn't have done this by letter, she had to be there for Ty.

"This isn't our fault Ty. Azula always did things in her best interest. She didn't care about us. The fact that you still care what happens to her is far more than she deserves. She doesn't deserve your tears Ty Lee." Bitter memories is what it reminded Mai of. Azula had always been indirectly hurting Ty Lee.

"She did care, Mai." Ty Lee's eyes settled on hers, and she could see the clarity of thought in them. To most, Ty didn't seem particularly smart, but she was very perceptive in her own regards. "You heard Zuko talk about the fight. She was a wreck even before she lost. If she hadn't cared, our betrayal wouldn't have bothered her."

Mai sighed. "That might be true Ty, but do you know what would have happened if we hadn't? Zuko would be dead and Azula would be Fire Lord. And then where would the world by Ty?" My reached a hand up and rested it on Ty Lee's shoulder.

"I don't know Mai...I don't know." She sniffled a bit. "but she wouldn't be in a mental institution because we betrayed her." She paused and then whispered. "Because I betrayed her."

For Mai, this brought back bitter memories of their past. Azula had always been causing pain for Ty Lee. It wasn't the intentional kind that bothered her though, it was things like this. Things that hurt Ty not because someone else was bad, but because she was too good.

Mai moved closer to Ty Lee and out of her usual character awkwardly hugged her. "Look, Ty, I know that you really care about Azula for reasons only Agni knows and far more than anyone deserves, let alone her. But if you really care, the best you can do for her is hope. Its up to the doctors to get her better."

Ty Lee nodded, knowing it was true but still not entirely convinced. Mai continued to hold her and making small talk for a few more hours, until her time with Ty Lee ran out.

As she was walking out the door, she paused and turned around. "It was good seeing you again Ty Lee. I wish it was under better circumstances, but it was good all the same."

Ty Lee smiled a huge smile. "Yes Mai. It was great seeing you again. I hope things get better so that we can hang out more often. I know, next time we'll go surfing, or I'll take you gliding! Aang showed me how. Its really fun and not hard!"

Mai had to smile a bit. "Yes, that sounds like it will be fun. I'll do my best to free up some time. Good bye Ty Lee."

As she was stepping out the door, she heard Ty Lee's voice, and paused. It was quiter this time, which meant for Ty Lee it was more important. "Could...you get me in to see Azula? I...want to see her myself Mai."

Mai stopped, taken aback a little. She hadn't expected it, but knew she probably should have. "I don't...know if thats a good idea Ty Lee." She started to back up her statement, but the look in Ty Lee's eyes stopped her dead. "Look...I think I can get you in for a few minutes, but only a few minutes. And there will have to be a guard just outside the door at all times, Ok?"

Ty Lee smiled and nodded. "Yes. Thats ok. I just...need to see for myself, you know Mai?" It was a terrible idea, Mai knew. She doubted Ty Lee would feel better for a long time after words. But, Ty Lee would feel even worse if she didn't.

The trip back wasn't pleasant, as she wasn't looking forwards tomorrow. But, the day after would be worse. Zuko had made it clear that he didn't want anyone in to see Azula except the doctors, but Mai knew what was best for Ty Lee. And in the end, no one would get hurt, but she'd have to deal with his anger.


	4. Truth

Ty Lee shifted nervously and hid behind Mai a little as they entered the prison complex. It wasn't because she was afraid of anyone inside, but the coming experience was scaring her a little. Confronting something she was responsible for, even if it was for the right reasons, wasn't going to be pleasant. But she had to see for herself, and she had to see if there was anyway for her to help her friend.

Her eyes gazed on the large room as they entered, the brightly lit complex proving to be quite impressive, for a prison at any rate. The building structure itself was made of thick carved stone, shaped back when the Fire Nation hadn't been at war with the world. The prisoners were held in their cells by polished steel bars, crafted right here in the fire nation captiol.

A small group of them were out in the open in the court yard proper, and while there was the occasional lier thrown at the pair, they didn't last long. Once they saw the crown on Mai's head, they were rendered silent. Even the most hardened criminal in the fire nation knew better than to harass the royal family, and these prisoners were on the low end of the crime spectrum.

For the most part, the prison in the capital city was for political prisoners and blue collar crimes. Minor theft, fire bending in a public area. All the more dangerous criminals were sent to places further from the heart of the nation, such as the Boiling Rock. A special prison had been made to house Ozai at the edge of the city, and was constantly monitored by a few squads of men, all specifically loyal to Zuko. Fire bending or no, Ozai still had strong political functions and allies that he could bring to bear. Without being locked away, he could still cause a good deal of trouble for the world, and physical force wasn't the kind that would stop it.

A similar arrangement had been made for Azula, from what Ty Lee had heard. A small wing had been built attached to the prison, and a few doctors had been employed to try and fix the former princess. After all, Ozai had been in complete control while he did what he did. Azula had been...a little less so. Regardless, Zuko had felt that his sister was less guilty in things than his father was, and decided to try and have her helped rather than locked away. Ty Lee had been very grateful, as it eased the guilt she felt a little.

Ty Lee caught herself in thought, though. Was she really a former princess? She was still alive, and her family was still on the throne. She was still Royalty, even if she was a bit unstable. It only took Ty Lee a few moments to decided that Azula still was a princess. In her head she saw Azula roaming the halls of the palace and laughing with her and Mai once she was better.

Her thoughts were back to reality as she realized Mai had stopped outside the door that led to Azula's wing of the building, and a stocky man was hastily walking towards them, a little sweat trailing down his face.

"Fire Lady Mai! To what do we owe this pleasure?" The warden of the facility, Ty Lee was sure. When an important person dropped into a place, the head person always had to make sure to greet them. Ty Lee didn't know politics like Mai did, but her family was a Noble one. There were a few things that slipped down the cracks, intentionally or not.

"I'm here to make sure that my wishes are respected, and that Lady Ty Lee is allowed to see Azula." The warden seemed to visibly pale a bit, and his weight shifted to his rear foot. For whatever reason, he was very obviously disturbed by this request.

"Fire Lady Mai...while I would love to honor your request, we have strict orders that no one is allowed in there except..." He was forced to stop, however, as Mai stepped close and drew up her form, starring coldly into the eyes of the warden.

"Except what? I am the wife of the Fire Lord. Or is a order from me not good enough for you? Should I have word sent to my husband that he has to cut his visit with his uncle short because an uppity little warden has to have word from him directly?" Mai was visibly angry, but Ty Lee knew it was a ploy. Mai never lost her temper in all the time that she had known her. She was breaking character intentionally.

The warden swallowed hard and nodded his head unsure. "Except...nothing Fire Lady Mai." He turned to the guard by his door and nodded his head. "See to it that Lady Ty Lee is taken to see Azula. You are to have three men outside the door, ready to assist her should there be any problems."

The guard nodded and turned to unlcok the door, while Ty Lee voiced up. "Umm...I don't think that will really be necessary, I mean, she can't fire bend... and I don't think she'll hurt me..." It was true, wasn't it? Azula wasn't really a danger to her.

Mai raised her hand slightly, though, calling Ty Lee's attention. "No, Ty Lee. I insist upon that requirement. I don't want you anywhere near Azula without guards a few seconds away. Never underestimate her."

She knew that Mai was just concerned for her safety, but she pouted a bit. She was worried that Azula might take it the wrong way if it looked like she didn't trust her enough to come with armed guards.

Mai spoke up once more. "Ty Lee, will you be alright by yourself? I have some duties I must attend to, but I can put them off if..." She stopped as Ty Lee shook her head.

"No, its alright Mai. Its better if I see Azula alone anyways. She might be overwhelmed if both of us see her at the same time." And, Ty Lee knew, she really couldn't put things off. Mai was growing increasingly worried as time went on. The past few months she had seen little lines set into her face, and the growing shade under her eyes from not sleeping enough. If there was one thing she didn't have, it was the ability to put anything off.

Mai nodded lightly and placed her hand reassuringly on Ty Lee's shoulder before glaring at the warden once more. "If I hear that Ty Lee has any problems seeing Azula, of if she comes back with any injuries, I will see that you are punished, understood?"

The man gulped once more and nodded quickly. "Of course Fire Lady. Ty Lee will find no resistance to seeing the former princess, and she will come back with not a scratch on her." His voice was something of a stammer, and he was very visibly shaken.

Mai nodded once at both the Warden and Ty Lee, and then turned and briskly walked away. Ty Lee knew that she had given up more time than she actually had to take her this far, and was grateful to her for it.

The door opened bringing her eyes back from Mai's retreating form, and the guard motioned for her to follow. As soon as they were through, the door that they had came through closed behind them, and Ty Lee at once noticed the shift in the atmosphere.

While the main room had been well lit and somewhat relaxed, the hallway was more dim, and the overall feel of the place had dramatically shifted to a more gloomy and oppressive sense. It made Ty Lee visibly shiver. Was this the kind of place that Azula was getting treated in?

It took them a few minutes to actually arrive at Azula's room. There were several more doors that they had to pass through, each of them with a guard standing on either side. She wondered why the security on Azula's hospital was so thick. Were they worried someone would try to hurt her?

She got her answer when they got to the room. Except it wasn't a room, it was a cell. She thought at first it was just a storage room or something they were passing, and that the hallway would continue down, a secret door hidden in the wall or something like what happened in books.

But the guard stopped and she looked around, noticing the bars in the door, and noticing more what laid beyond them. Dread clutched at her heart as she peaked through, eyes settling on the cage in the back. She couldn't clearly make it out do the lighting and distance, but she was sure that there was someone in that small cage.

Her breath caught in her throat a bit as the guard tapped his spear on the floor, and after a few moments the gate opened itself. She briefly wondered how that worked before she swallowed her fear back and stepped into the room, the door closing behind her.

What kind of treatment was this? Was all she could wonder as she took a few uneasy steps towards the cage, flicking torch light showing her glimmers of the princess, that little flashing nightmares in her mind.

She was skinny, and a mess. Occasionally Ty Lee saw bruises on her body, and couldn't not notice the dried blood on her wrists from the shackles that held them above her head bitting into her weak flesh. She looked malnurished and half dead, like an abused dog.

Ty Lee almost threw up, but managed to control herself. She couldn't stop her eyes from starting to water though. This was terrible. There was no way that they were helping her in a place like this. It was a joke, wasn't it? Mai playing a terrible little prank on her.

"No mother." She heard a low wisper come from the cage, a flicker of candlelight revealing Azula's eyes to be staring off to right of the cage. "Why are you bothering me? Are you like Zuko? You just love to see me weak, love to see how far I've fallen? Do you take joy in your position over me, mother?"

A small laugh echoed through the room, and Ty Lee stepped back, making a small bang as she hit the door. That was enough though. Azula's eyes shot from whatever she had been looking at and settled on Ty Lee, and she could see the madness in them.

"You to, Ty Lee?" She said, the same little laugh obvious in her voice. "Its just been a veritable parade of old faces, hasn't it? Has it been declared a reunion holiday since I've been in here? Whats next, will Mai be dropping in, or how about dear uncle Iroh? I know, the avatar surely wants to be reminded of how great his abilities are, make sure I can't do so much as light a match."

Ty Lee tried, she really did, but couldn't find any words to say. Shock had settled in, and she was lucky to even still be in the room.

"Ohh? Cat got your tongue, Ty?" A bitter laugh this time. "Just seeing me is enough, you don't feel like wasting any words on me?" Fire flared up in Azula's eyes, hatred, Ty Lee thought. "Well look. Look what your pact with Zuko did, look how great things are now! You must be so happy to see me chained here, no longer out there causing you pain."

Ty Lee did manage to find some words this time, "I...I didn't hurt you for Zuko, Azula. I did it to stop you from hurting Mai. You were both my friends, I couldn't let you hurt each other...I couldn't let you kill her, Azula."

A little crackle of laughter shook through her, loud this time, greasy messes of hair spilling down her face. The laughter was short lived though, quickly replaced with harsh coughing. After a few moments the coughing past and Azula could speak again. "Well, you got what you wanted then. I'm in this caged, chained and locked away, and Mai is nice and safe. No, better than safe, shes Fire Lady, Zuko's little bitch." Her eyes suddenly snapped to the right of the cage again. "Shut up mother. No one asked your opinion."

Ty Lee was crying at this points, there wasn't any stopping it. The situation was completely overwhelming her. "But...but your getting help Azula. Their making you better so that you can be back out there again..." She said it, but even she didn't believe it. Azula seemed worse than she had ever seen her... and at this point, even she didn't really have any hope that Zuko was having her treated for anything.

Azula's eyes drifted back over to Ty Lee, Realization and sobriety setting in, the madness clearing a bit for the moment. "So thats what Zuko told you, is it?" Her face was passive, completely neutral. "That he was getting me help, that doctors were making me right and that one day, I'd be let out and normal?"

She leaned as far as she could forwards, most of her bodyweight pulling on the chains that bound her hands, cutting into them and sending a few trickles of fresh blood down her arms. "Does it look like I'm being treated, Ty Lee? Does it look like I'm any better?"

Ty Lee shook her head, tears streaming down her face. She couldn't argue with that, it was true. This wasn't helping...Azula was just slowly dying here. "No, Ty Lee," Her voice started again. "My dear brother is content to let me rot here. I'll die, sooner rather than later, and he'll be free of me for good."

"I'll tell Mai!" Ty Lee declared, her voice trembling. "And she'll talk to Zuko and we'll get this whole things straightened out! You'll..."

Her statement was cut out by Azula's bitter laughter. "No you'll tell Mai, and she probably won't care. And even if she does, either because there is some small lingering feeling for me, which I highly doubt, or because shes concerned for you... either way, she'll try to talk to my dear Zuzu. And do you know what happens then?"

Ty Lee shook her head slowly, and Azula went on, retorical question aside. "Zuzu gets mad and blows a fuse. It doesn't matter that he's been lying, what matters is that Mai betrayed him by going around poor Zuzu's back, sneaking people in to see his demon of a sister. Mai gets upset, and they fight a bit, but eventually Mai backs down to save her little relationship, and things go back to the way they were."

Ty Lee tried to speak, but the door behind her opened, and her guards were standing at attention looking at her. "Lady Ty Lee. The time given to you to spend with this prisoner is elapsed. You are to come with us and be seen out of the facility."

Ty Lee nodded slowly, her eyes drifting back to Azula as she walked after them. "Not for me, Azula." She whispered, just loudly enough to carry the distance. "Never for me."


	5. Thought

Azula sat in concentration, pondering what had just transpired. That traitor, Ty Lee, had dared to come see her, dared to feint care for her in her weakened state. How dare she? How dare she come and look down on her, when it was partially her fault that Azula was where she is now? She would spit in disgust if her mouth wasn't dry.

Still. Ty Lee had let her in on some things that she hadn't known before, information that she considered important. Primarily, that her dear Zuzu had lied to Mai and Ty Lee about what he had done to her. Knowing what she did about how things worked, she was quick to realize that if he had lied to anyone, he had lied to everyone.

She leaned back against the wall to take a little pressure off of her wrists, and the pain faded a bit as the shackles no longer bit into them, though the blood did continue to drip down her arm. The pain was something she was used to though, and her mind was still turning, clocking the gears into place.

She was sure that the reason Zuko had locked her away was because he felt that it was the right thing. Her brother had always had a problem with that honor and pride of his, viewing things that he supported and wanted as the right thing. He viewed Azula as a threat the his throne, and his anger at her let his mind place her as evil, and a threat to everyone.

It wasn't that it wasn't true. If she was free, even without her firebending she was a threat to him. She still had many political connections in the fire nation, and while to a lesser extent, in the earth kingdom as well. While Zuko was blinded and bound to his pride, Azula could be whatever she needed to be to get her way. Because of that, Zuko would always fail at politics.

He knew that if she was free, in the early days of his Lordship, she would have started planting the seeds of discontent, and now that Zuko's foreign policy was falling to pieces, would have capitalized on his weakness and overthrown him.

She laughed loudly. "He is afraid of me. Oh poor Zuzu, scared of such a...helpless girl." Her laughter continued until she noticed her mothers face frown and her head to stare her in the eyes. "Oh come now mother. Not going to say anything to back up your precious son? Not going to defend him letting the nation fall apart around him?"

She lunged in that direction, bouncing back and being held in place by her chains. "Where is your son now, mother? You failed! You bet on the wrong horse mother, and look whats happening now!" Her laughter continued for a few minutes before she settled back into silence, just glaring at the older women.

Eventually her mother vanished, retreating from Azula. Mother knew she was right, knew that her love of Zuko had been misplaced. What more proof did she need than his lack of ability to lead? The world was testing him, and Zuko was being found unworthy.

No, when the world tested Azula, she had failed. But she had learned from her mistakes. She had thought then that fear would keep everyone in line, and that her world would remain stable through that. But it wasn't that simple. She realized now that fear was just a single human emotion in a plater of thousands. She had spent so much time exploiting that one that she hadn't given enough consideration to the others.

No, she was in no position to play on fear now. Holding to that card wouldn't get her anywhere except maybe pushing Zuzu to just have her offed and be done with it. No, the emotions that would serve her best at the moment were care and shock, sympathy and compassion. She was very clearly weak and beaten, no firebending, no physical skill to speak of.. No, she was obviously no threat to anyone.

Ty Lee cared about her, for whatever reason. Azula gave some thought and decided that it was what made Ty Lee tick. Caring for others, specifically for her friends, had always motivated her. Azula had always viewed it as a weakness, and a weakness it was. But Azula had never thought to play on that concern, to put it to work for her.

If she could bring her fingers together in anticipation she would, but instead she had to settle for allowing a grin to spread across her features, a grin that she hadn't worn in almost a year. If she let things play out as she predicted they would, and capitalized on the opportunities presented to her, the end of them would leave her in a much more favorable position.


	6. Awareness

To say that Mai was behind on work was something of an understatement. The Fire Nation was behind on time just by nature of the war that they had raised. That was manageable. With Zuko, her, and some of the upper nobles, advisors and generals working on it, they could eventually get things sorted out... and that was what they had begun doing.

But things hadn't proved to be as simple as that. Some of the generals had commited war crimes under Ozai, and while they had been pardoned except for the more sever crimes, the other nations were rightfully unwilling to work with them. Beyond that, there were quite a few nobles and advisors she knew that were still loyal to Ozai, either openly or in secret, and they had to either be dismissed or bypassed depending on their level of influence.

And finally, there was Zuko. His heart was in the right place, he really did want to see things fixed and the balance restored. But his pride and his honor, and by extension his anger issues, were getting in the way. She felt like she was fighting to push several tons of rock up a hill with a small group of people, and the strongest of them couldn't make up his mind if he wanted to push or pull.

That was the reason that she had General Iroh summon Zuko. How much smoother things would go if Iroh would take on some of the responsibility of fixing the world, but he was content to manage his teashop and watch things go on. Iroh felt that it was time for a new generation, but it wasn't a new generation that they were dealing with outside of the Fire Nation. Experience would serve them all well.

He wouldn't have it, however. And so Mai was forced to go about it in the most roundabout way of having him provide a little mentoring to Zuko. Assuming that Zuko picked up and put into practice even half of what Iroh passed on to him, there was the stakes at hand that if he found out Mai had arranged it, he would lose it.

She rubbed her temples and sat down the papers for a moment, letting her eyes readjust and relax a bit before she got back to it. She had just settled into the readjust part of that plan when she heard a slight scuffle in the hall and her doors suddenly burst open, a few guards pilling on top what she thought she made out as Ty-Lee's pink clad form.

One of her trademark sighs later she was up and walking towards them. "That will be...quite enough." She half expected to look down and see Ty-Lee grin back up at her, having fun with making her life and the guards life a little more inconvenient, but a little more lively at the same time.

The expression she wore was quite serious, and the three paralyzed guards she glimpsed outside the doors showed her that Ty Lee hadn't taken her usual time to play and sneak around. She made a mental note to see about having a few more guards assigned to this wing of the palace and have the standing ones reprimanded. If Ty Lee and been an assassin, there was a good chance her or Zuko could have been quite dead.

At her word, the guards immediately let go of Ty Lee and jumped straight up and to attention, looking slightly flustered and a bit embarrassed. "Yes Ma'am. Lady Ty Lee demanded to speak with you and didn't allow us to revive permission. When we told her to wait, she forced her way through."

Mai glanced them each over once as Ty Lee picked herself off of the floor and then nodded at them. "Very well. You men our dismissed. Ty Lee may stay." The guards saluted her at once and then turned on heal, marching back out of the room and closing the doors behind them.

"Ty, childhood friends or no, you can't just..." Her words faltered a bit at she realized that Ty Lee was glaring at her rather harshly, and uncharacteristically. She wasn't sure if she had ever actually seen this much anger in her friend before, and it was enough to make her stop.

"Tell me that you had nothing to do with it Mai." Ty Lee's voice didn't have the usual charm and bounce it usually did, instead low and stern. Whatever it was Ty Lee was upset about, she was sure that Azula had something to do with it. She was the only one that could cause someone like Ty Lee to become this ruffled.

"Look, Ty. I don't know what little conspiracy Azula's put into your head, but..." As she started to feel might become a repeated pattern for the duration of this little conversation, Mai felt herself cut off again.

"Azula didn't have to tell me anything. In fact, she didn't tell me anything. She just yelled at me Mai. And you know what? I didn't blame her. It hurt, but no matter how much her words hurt, what you and Zuko have done to her is far worse. I can't believe that you would..." It was Mai's turn to interupt Ty Lee, throwing her hands up in a stopping motion.

"Stop, Ty. Look, what are you going on about? I can tell you that I haven't so much as seen Azula since the boiling rock, let alone have any hand in the arrangement of her treatment. I have far more important things to deal with than that sociopathic has been..."

If she could have listed every possible event that could ever occur in her life, she was sure that what happened wouldn't have ever so much as crossed her mind. Ty Lee struck her. And not just a light tap, a full forced slap crossed her face that she was sure would leave a mark for awhile. "Don't you dare, Mai. Don't you say another word."

Mai didn't retaliate. She didn't even say a word. All she did was stair in stunned silence at Ty Lee, her mouth slightly moving, trying to form some symbiance of anything to say, with her hand slightly stroking the burning skin, but the event had been so far outside of anything she had ever given any credence to happen that her mind was still trying to process what had happened.

"Mai. You have her locked in a cage smaller than she is, beaten and bleeding. As bad as she looks, I think your not even feeding her every day. She could be sick, and she might by dying. Shes as crazy as she ever was, and instead of helping her like a good friend and brother should have been, you've been quietly waiting until she died."

That gave her something to mull over. As terrible as that sounded, as terrible as it might be, it was infinitely more tangible in her mind. She could see the plausibility. Zuko hadn't let anyone near Azula besides the guards and her doctors, which meant if that wasn't true, just guards. He himself hadn't even been to see her until yesterday. Even so, Zuko was a good man, for all his faults. He wouldn't just leave his sister to die. "Ty, I think you saw something wrong, or Azula made you think of things the wrong way. There isn't anyway that Zuko would just leave her to rot. Shes his sister, Ty Lee."

Ty Lee shook her head, a few tears rolling down her face, streaming from her eyes. "It doesn't matter, Mai. He hates her. He really, really hates her. And now shes sitting down there, dying in a hole, because Zuko just wants her to be gone."

She thought about it and turned it over in her head. Zuko certainly had the power to hold a lasting grudge, but that level of vindictiveness was beyond him. He was burning and passionate, but he wasn't sadistic. Not like his sister was. No, that was something that she would do to him, not the other way around. It wasn't possible.

...Not unless it wasn't vindictiveness that had made the decision. If what Ty Lee was saying was true, it wasn't just his sister he had locked away. He had pinned everything that he hated about his family, everything that had haunted him, onto her. Azula was a bad person, there was no saving that. But she wasn't bad to the point that Zuko would do something like that to her.

"Ty... I think if you just wait until Zuko gets back, we can sit down and talk to him, and he'll straighten this whole thing out." She had to give her husband a chance to explain the situation. More than likely, Azula had just gotten into Ty Lee's mind and convinced her the Zuko was out to get her.

"No. Mai." She said, as she turned to leave, casting a look over her shoulder. "I don't want you doing anything until you go and see her. See her yourself, Mai. See whats happening. You owe her that much, if nothing else." And then Ty Lee was gone, and Mai was left alone with a pile of papers, and the feeling that life was about to get a lot more complicated.


	7. Destinations

The city of Ba Sing Se was as grand as it ever had been, and as he walked down the streets his mind drifted back to the time that he had been staying here with his uncle, helping to run a tea shop. The path that he was walking now was a very familiar one, the same one he had walked each day back then to arrive at the shop. Life had been simple then, and he had enjoyed it greatly.

But with those thoughts were also the ones that came after. Of Azula coming, taking the city. Of the fight in the caverns, what some could see as the heart of the city itself... and of him betraying his uncle, all so that he could get back into the good graces of his father. It was what he had lusted after and dreamed of... but as he learned, when you finally got your wish, it was rarely what you really wanted.

The ironic coldness in the hearts of those that led the nation, of the generals and his father, in his sister... it had been too much for him. He wanted to belong to his nation, to be looked up at and respected by his people, but he hadn't been willing to sacrifice the world to do it. So he turned his back on his father, challenged him, and then left to join the Avatar.

He was most grateful, however, when he was able to at last apologize to his uncle, and he had been welcomed back with open arms. His uncle had forgiven everything that he had done, the pain and betrayal, the imprisonment, all he had to do was apologize. And so he had... and here they were now. He was Firelord, working to fix the world, and his uncle had gotten his wish of a relaxing life tending his teashop.

It was his trip down memory lane that had almost been his undoing. His guards had been told to hold back, only following from a fair distance, with another few sent ahead to inform Uncle of his arrival. It was just the briefest glimmer of light that caught his attention, and he instinctively leaned back. Passing before his face was a quick silver blur of a thrown dagger. Immediately he twisted around, throwing out his fist in the direction that it had come from. Pausing just for a minute to verify a target, he released a ball of fire towards the would be assassin.

The person was quick on their feet, however, and they flicked their body over the licking flames, form curving with its momentum as they released a pair of sharp daggers towards him. As their weight came down they caught themselves on the palm of their left hand and spun off of it, lining themselves up with the Firelord. Shifting their falling momentum and utilizing the muscles in their arm, chest and shoulders they sprang from the stand and launched themselves at Zuko.

He dealt with the deadly weapons by dropping into a slightly crouched stance, allowing them to pass a few inches over his head. His response was quick, using the momentum from springing from the crouch to carry him around in a spin, bringing his leg up and lashing out with a spinning kick. Energy licked around his body into the limb and as the momentum was fully carried forwards released a burst of flame.

The small, licking inferno would have decided things, had the assassin not been quicker. Grabbing Zuko's leg as it snapped out, the nimble assailants hands caught onto it, using it as a leverage point to shift themselves out of the way of the flames. Their airborne moment carried them forwards, and Zuko saw their arm lash out towards his neck.

His leg dropped as he used it to shift his weight and bring up his own arm, managing to deflect the limb just barely off its course. As the Assassin flew by, Zuko felt a stinging sensation in the side of his face, quickly followed by the warm flow of blood. But, his quick action had saved his life, as it had been aimed towards his throat.

He twisted to attack once more, but found himself chocking and covering his eyes as a sudden blast of smoke filled the air, cutting off his vision and assaulting his senses. He stumbled forwards and out of it as he rubbed at his blurry eyes, darting his sight around through teared vision. Even as he readied an attack, however, he realized that the assassin was gone, disappeared into the shadows of one of the side streets that branched off from the main road.

He dropped to one knee coughing and chocking before after a moment he had caught his breath. As his eyes started to clear up, he could see two of his guards rushing towards them, clear concern written crossed their face. Though they had been following orders, the Fire Lord had almost been killed under their watch.

"!" The lead man called. A captain, and the senior soldier of the two. "Are you hurt sir?" While the captain tended to the FireLord, the other soldier, a Sergent, quickly signaled for a few more of the elite guard that were coming around to split up, each of them taking a separate ally. The attack had lasted less than thirty seconds, but its end result had almost been devastating.

"Fine, soldier." He snapped, anger clear in his voice. "If you find the assailant, I want them brought to me immediately! Do I make myself clear?" The question, however, had been rhetorical, and Zuko marched off from the main towards his uncles teashop. He had wasted enough time, and some tea would do him some good at this point.

The shop itself was only a few blocks from the site of the attack, and Zuko arived quickly to find his concerned looking uncle starting to head in the direction of the incident. He stopped as he saw Zuko approach, however, and nodded towards his nephew.

"Are you alright, Zuko?" His voice was full of the compassion that his uncle almost always showed, though the usual touch of humor that it was usually accompanied with was missing. His uncle looked rather grave indeed.

"I'm fine, uncle. Thank you for your concern." Zuko bowed slightly to his Uncle, showing him the respect that the older man deserved from him. As he did so, however, he started to feel slightly woozy and his vision began to fog. He tried to recover but lost his balance, falling forwards.

"Zuko!" His uncle cried, quickly stepping the few feat to catch his nephew before he hit the ground. "Can you hear me Nephew?" The concern was increasing, and Zuko could feel his uncles weight as he shifted, looking around for something.

"Po...oison." Zuko managed to choke out, reaching towards his cheek. His eyes closed and he could feel his body growing weaker. But he also felt himself picked up and held close to something warm. The feeling spread through him and gave him some reassurance even as he felt himself slip into the dark void of unconsciousness.

…..............................................................................................................

The next thing Zuko was made aware of was a bright light stinging his eyes as he tried to open them, and he suddenly bolted up looking around, not knowing where he was. A familiar hand quickly rested on his shoulder reassuringly, and he allowed himself to lay back down against the bed he felt himself in, eyes settling on his uncle at his side.

"That was a close call, Zuko." His uncles grave voice carried to him. "Not very much of the poison got into your system. For that we are lucky." His uncles eyes showed a very clear fear, and Zuko knew how close his life had come to being lost.

"Who...who was it?" He managed to stammer out, finding that his body was still quite weak. He knew that he had been lucky to make it to his uncle. Had the older man not quickly reacted, he may not have got the help that he needed.

"We do not know my Nephew." He paused and looked to the side, as though he was judging if he should say more. Zuko could tell from the look that it was something disturbing him, and something that he was worried wouldn't be right to tell him while he was weak. After a moment the reservation passed, however, and his uncle spoke. "However... we do know that it was not an isolated attack."

Zuko's eyes widened with fear and concern as his thoughts immediately shifted to Mai. "Mai...is she alright uncle? Tell me..." He coughed, a racking pain shooting through him, cutting off his concerned questions.

"Yes Zuko." He felt his uncles strong arms settle on him. "Try and rest your energy my nephew. You were almost killed, and we would be wise not to finish the assassins job." Zuko nodded and became quite, allowing his uncle to continue. "Your wife is safe. However, this was an attack on your family, Zuko."

Zuko's eyes looked at him confused. If it wasn't an attack on his wife, how had it been an attack on his family. It took a moment for his mind to process it, as beyond his uncle and wife, he had managed to rid himself of any thoughts of the rest of his family. Realization settled into his eyes.

"Your sister and father were also attacked on that day." His eyes lowered in some deep regret and pain, and Zuko thought he might have seen a few tears as his uncle turned away. "While I did not get along with your Father, he was my brother, and it pains me greatly that he has been killed."

Zuko felt a little deadened by the news. While he cared nothing for his father at this point, to learn that any member of the royal family had been killed brought to him a deep sense of discomfort. Who would organize a strike on the direct bloodline of Sozin? "...And Azula?" He managed, after a few moments of careful thought.

"Your sister still lives, Zuko. Your wife was visiting with some of the generals that were imprisoned for supporting your father even after his fall when the assassin attempted to strike. She heard the commotion when the guards were attacked and managed to strike down the attacker." General Iroh's voice actually showed some relief. For whatever reason, he seemed to harbor some care for his niece.

"I...see." Zuko said, trying to smile slightly in relief, while the emotions that were actually turning in him were something close to dread. "Did the assassin make it to Azula's cell?" He asked finally, hoping that he wouldn't have to deal with that when he returned home.

"I do not know, Zuko. They did not fully inform me of what had happened." His uncles eyebrows raised with slight curiosity. "Why do you want to know, my nephew?"

Zuko's eyes closed as he started to feel himself fall back to sleep, his body failing to hold onto what little energy that it had at the moment. "No reason, uncle. I just wanted to know if she had been hurt at all." He hoped the answer was sufficient as he fell asleep.


	8. Test

Mai wait, leaning against the inside of the door of Azula's cell, staring through the bars at the former fire princess. She had been coming to visit the princess four days ago when the attack had happened. She had been through the third checkpoint, waiting for the guards to open it when she had heard the crashing coming from somewhere behind.

She had readied herself then, never going anywhere without her many blades, and had waited calmly, watching the door that led to this position. A quick glance back to the soldiers had told them that they were to provide her assistance, stopping whoever was trying to break out the prisoner. Thats what she had assumed then. Given the situation, it was the right thing to think. But hindsight was always there in the future to prove your assumptions in the past wrong.

The assassin had been good, well trained. The guards hadn't been any match for him. But he hadn't expected to encounter Mai there, and the small startle of seeing her face and realizing who she was had been all the opening Mai needed to cut him down. Within moments, her bodyguards had surrounded her and dragged her off from the prison, safely back to the palace. She had wanted to interrogate Azula, beat the truth out of her, but these had been Zuko's hand picked men. With regards to her safety, even she didn't have the right to overwrite them.

She had learned of her mistake when she got back to the palace. Word was already waiting for her of Ozai's death. She had no feelings for the man, but he had been a member of Sozin's bloodline, and a very well guarded one at that. The assassin sent had managed to kill him before being cut down. Half of the men stationed at the special prison had been killed in the process.

A letter was immediately sent out to Zuko, informing him, and warning him, of the attacks. A few days latter a response had come from Iroh, telling her that her husband had almost been killed, and was currently unconscious from poison that had been forced into his body. The royal herbalist there had been able to treat the poison, but Zuko had still been too weak to write himself.

And so now Mai found herself back at the prison, gaze settled on the former princess beyond the bars. She thought seeing her there, trapped and behind bars, would have given her some form of satisfaction, would have made her feel avenged for the time that she had to spent locked away for protecting her future husband.

But seeing Azula there, chained and beaten, body battered and broken... she couldn't find any sort of satisfaction in it. She had thought that she had abandoned all the care for the girl, if one could call her that, but there was a certain level of care that she would have to cross to not feel even a little sympathy looking at her state. And that line wasn't something that she felt comfortable crossing. Just thinking about it made her shiver. Only Azula was capable of caring nothing for someone in this state, as ironic as it was.

More disturbing than the physical state, however, was Azula's mind. She hadn't regarded Mai when she had entered, and thus far hadn't even acknowledged her being there. She just continued to stair off into the distance, eyes slightly fixed to the left of the door, and occasionally said something condescending. Mai had wondered if Azula had been talking to her at first, just not having the respect to meet her eye to eye, but at some point she had mentioned the word mother.

Just as she was about to leave, however, she saw Azula's eyes slowly shift over to her, and she saw the almost glazed look slowly melt away as the former princess recognized her presence. But her look didn't settle into one of anger, as she had expected, rather it was a very slight, knowing smile. Mai recognized that look, even if she hadn't been on the receiving end of it often.

"Well well. Mai. I guess the trifecta is complete, now isn't it. Zuko, Ty Lee, and now you. Or are you hiding more special guests. The Avatar? Uncle Iroh?" She laughed. "I do enjoy the company. So nice of you all to find time to visit me once each year." Azula's eyes regarded her with slight amusement, staring into her. Mai felt herself shiver again, though shrugged it away. Something about Azula's madness was unsettling.

"Your father is dead." Mai said after a few moments of thought, watching Azula closely while weighting her reaction. She wondered if Azula would even care? Slightly upset? Maybe even happy? Her father was the only person Azula had ever shown any real emotion towards or around. Maybe news of his death could shake her.

"Oh." The amusement in her eyes flickered for a moment, seeming to dim, but then remained in place. "Thats nice. I assume Zuko got tired of having him around?" A slight smirk seemed to take its place at the corner of her lips.

She wasn't surprised by Zuko's coldness. Her father was dead, no big deal. Just one more thing to write off her list, one less piece in the game. Thats all it meant, Mai knew. One less checker on the board. "No, Azula. It was an attack on your family. Ozai. Zuko. Even you."

"I see." Another comment with no visible reaction. Either Azula wrote it off because it hadn't happened and thus wasn't important, she didn't care for her life at this point, or she was mulling it over in her mind and considering its impact. Given the state of Azula's mind, Mai gave equal weight to any of the possibilities. After a few moments, Azula gave her a slightly concerned look. "Shame. That would have made things a little easier on you."

Mai slightly indicated her head, not showing any emotion but finding herself curious. "What do you mean by that, Azula? Asides from a few minor political statements, my life isn't any more different now than it was in the past. You should just count yourself lucky to be alive, Azula. Lucky that I was on my way to visit you when it happened."

Azula just shook her head slightly, as much as her constrictions would allow. "You would have been better off if the assassin had succeeded." She gave Mai a pitying look. "Because now you've seen me. You've been confronted by your husbands lie, and its planted the seeds of doubt in your mind about how much you can trust him. Ty Lee will be standing on one side, demanding something be done, and on the other you'll haze Zuzu telling you that the right thing is already being done and that he lied to you to protect you. But, now that you've seen me, you can't just write it off as a game I've played with Ty Lee."

Mai reached to her side and brought up one of her knives, holding it lightly in front of her chest as Azula finished what she was saying. "I could just kill you know, problem solved. Only a few loyal guards know what happened. It would be easy to just kill you now and be done with it. It would certainly spare all of us a lot of grief."

Azula's response was to laugh. Not the made, cracking laughter that she had heard of, but genuine amusement. "Thats right, Mai. All you have to do is kill me right here. Kill a chained, beaten, half dead and helpless girl in cold blood. My existence makes yours more complicated, and for once in my life not for the virtue of anything I've caused. For once, its the decision of someone else that makes me a thorn in your side. So tell me, Mai. Can you take the easy way out here? Can you end my life and just carry on with yours?"

Mai pulled her arm back, and for an intense moment really and truly tried to justify it, to just throw the dagger and be done with it. Go back to Zuko, tell him that a second assassin had been sent after his sister. He wouldn't believe it, but for the sake of their marriage would let it slide. Ty Lee would be devastated, but would eventually recover, life much better for not having Azula in it. But for everything she could bring to mind, every way she could justify it...

Her hand dropped down to her side, and her gaze settled on a glare leveled on Azula's eyes. "I won't become you, Azula. Even to save myself the massive complication that your existence brings on me, even because of the pain that it causes Ty Lee, I won't kill you in cold blood just so I can avoid a headache."

That same laugh, back for a moment before dying down once more. "I don't know if I should be happy or upset, Mai." She grinned madly at her, voice becoming condescending. "Happy that I get to continue this miserable existence for a little longer, or disappointed that you didn't learn anything in our time together. Really Mai, I would expect this of Ty Lee, but not you."

But then Azula did something Mai hadn't expected. All of the madness and joy disappeared, and Azula looked her straight in the eyes with the most sober look she had ever seen in the girl. "Or maybe you've just realized the truth." And then she was gone, eyes glazing over and back in her own little world.

"What truth?!" Mai felt annoyance rise up in her, and for a moment she concidered striking Azula down, controlling herself enough to resist the impulse. She waited around for awhile longer, but Azula never came down from her little trip into madness. Eventually Mai was forced to leave, to return to her duties, but for the rest of the day it continued to bug her in the back of her mind.


	9. Plans

Permission was easy to get, this time. The truth was already known to both herself and Mai. There were no more secrets, no shocking revolations that might shake things up. All there was...was the confrontation that was going to happen soon. Ty Lee was content with that, content knowing that Mai was at least going to question Zuko about lying to her...and maybe convincing to help Azula.

Ty Lee was optimistic, because it was her very nature to be so. But she wasn't optimistic to the point of stupidity. She knew that even if things went well, Zuko wouldn't let Azula out. At best, she could expect her to be transferred to a proper treatment place this time. Ty Lee had to smile at the thought. Azula would be better soon.

It was that smile that she was wearing as she entered the room, finding Azula's eyes coming down to look into hers, immediately aware of her presense. If there was any madness in Azula today, it wasn't here now. _Another small thing to be thankful for_, Ty Lee thought to herself. She was looking forwards to today, to tell Azula the good news.

"Azula." She was excited, her voice was happy, but she didn't squeal like she normally would. It was really quite here, even little sounds carried. She didn't want to hurt Azula's ears. "Mai said shes going to talk to Zuko about you. Your going to be out of here, and put in a better place. And then you'll get to eat good food, and be better treated!"

Azula's eyes didn't change, retaining a sober, almost sad look. "It doesn't matter if Mai talks to Zuko, Ty Lee."It didn't seem like it was possible, but the sound of her voice was...almost defeated. "Zuzu will do exactly what he wants, as he always does."

Ty Lee shook her head. "No Azula! Mai really thinks that this right here is wrong. I mean..." She trailed off, putting a finger to her lips as she try to choose her words. "I mean, she thinks that you should be locked up and stuff Azula. She doesn't trust you like that. But she doesn't think you should be locked up like this."

The former fire princess looked down and away, slightly hanging her head. "Ty Lee...Ty. Zuko wants me here, don't you see? Now that father is gone, I'm the only one left from that side of the family. All of his anger and hatred for them, for his life...its all on me, Ty. I now stand for, and represent, everything in the world that Zuzu hates, everything that causes me pain. In his eyes, I'll die soon and then it will all be forgotten. Thats what he thinks, at least."

Ty Lee shook her head quickly, but didn't reply as fast, concidering what Azula was saying. That wouldn't really happen, would it? No... Zuko might feel that way, but Mai would at least get Azula moved somewhere better. She'd still be locked up, but at least it wouldn't be like this. Mai was her friend, Ty Lee had faith in her. "Mai will..."

"eventually back down because her duties to her country and her love for Zuko outweigh what little care she might have for my wellbeing. Even your concerns, Ty Lee, mean less to her than that. Its not a bad thing though...nothing I wouldn't do in her place. If she maintains any resistance to Zuko, he'd eventually cut her off and become more irritable. Zuzu is already bad enough at foreign policy to begin with. Pissed off, this country would fall apart quick." Azula finished for her.

"That...no Azula...no." But Ty Lee wasn't so sure at this point. Azula had a point, didn't she? Zuko could get really mad sometimes, and if he got mad at Mai, mad enough... it wouldn't be good for anyone. Mai was smart too, she would know that. Was she already thinking that? Did she already know that they were just going to leave Azula here? No...she couldn't, could she?

Her doubt must have showed, because Azula continued, ignoring her comment. "Yes, Ty. Mai would. She knows it already. I taught her a lot, and one of the most important things was to think ahead. She already knows Zuko's moves, knows exactly how he'll react to anything that she says. Mai's a smart player Ty. Theres no point in starting a battle you can't win."

Ty Lee leaned back, resting her weight against the door and then slid down it, hanging her head in something resembling despair. What was all this for if Azula was just going to be stuck here anyways? Was she going to have to just keep coming back, and slowly watch her die? Maybe she could smuggle in some food to her...or maybe she could... "Azula..." She moved in closer, scooting across the floor until she was just outside the cage. The caged woman took her lead, leaning in towards her as far as she could.

"I could break you out."

Her voice was extremely quite, barely audible even the small distance between them. But Azula heard her, because her eyes lit up suddenly, and a slight smile spread crossed her face. But just as quick as it was there, it was gone and she shook her head. "No, Ty. While I...appreciate the sentiment, this place is extremely well guarded and sealed off, from what I remember and what I've gathered since. I can't even firebend Ty. We wouldn't make it out the front doors, let alone out of the city."

Ty Lee slumped back, looking as beaten as Azula had when she came in. "Then what can we do, Azula? Am I just supposed to come in here and watch you die, even if I'm let back in? Or do I just go back to my life, and always be bothered by how your doing, how close to dying you are?" At this point, she was actually crying at this point, tears slowly streaming down her face.

"Nothing that dramatic, Ty." Azula got quite, and Ty Lee had to lean in to hear her, thinking that Azula had something she didn't want overheard. "Be quite for a second Ty and let me talk. There is one other possibility, one other way that we might be able to at least get me somewhere better than this." She sighed slightly, as though she was going to regret what she was about to say. "We ask the Avatar to intervene. Hes a monk. He didn't even kill my father to end the war, despite his crimes. I think he might force dear Zuzu to at least treat me like I'm human."

It was Ty Lee's turn to have her eyes light up. "That...that would probably work." She almost slapped herself. Why hadn't she thought of it? If there was one person that could help Azula, it was defiantly the Avatar. But would he come and help? It wasn't like him or anyone in his group liked Azula...but did it matter? He was supposed to help anyone, and she really needed help.

"But Ty... I couldn't do that to you. It would be dangerous. If Zuko found out, he'd have soldiers sent after you. He'd hunt you, Ty, hunt you down and make sure that you didn't tell anyone what he was doing to me. He can't let anyone know. If anyone found out, Zuzu wouldn't be able to maintain the control over me like he does now."

Ty Lee shook her head and reached into the cage, touching Azula's face in what she hoped was a reassuring way. "No Azula. Your right. This is the only way we're going to get you out of here. I'll make sure that I don't get caught and that he comes to help you. I promise."

A warm smile spread across Azula's face, one like Ty Lee had never seen on the girl before. She had really and genuinely touched her, managed to get through that shell she always wore and make the real Azula happy. Maybe...maybe Azula actually trusted her.

"Thank you Ty Lee...Thank you." A little tear rolled down Azula's face. Outside, a thump brought Ty Lees attention to the hall and she jumped up, moving back towards it. As she turned to greet the guard and leave, she almost thought she saw Azula's smile turn cold. But she wrote it off. Just a flashback of times gone by.


	10. Maturity

Mai was mad. No, that wasn't right, she thought. She was beyond mad. She was right livid was the truth of the matter. The papers that littered her deck, the papers she should be going over, were virtually discarded and forgotten as she mentally raved. But, she couldn't keep at it for too long. No, that was far to selfish, and due to what was coming, she couldn't possibly give in to her emotions.

Zuko was almost here, and she had to make herself presentable. Leave it to Azula, beaten and chained, almost helpless, to throw a wrench into the gears and make her life hell. It wasn't enough that Zuko had to lie to her because of Azula, now she had to actually go and set something in motion that could very well cause problems for him, and beyond that, the Fire Nation as a whole.

Maybe Zuko was right. If they had just left Azula chained up in the dark, never to be seen by anyone other than soldiers again, then none of this would have happened, and things would have just continued on as they had. With a little luck, Zuko would have gotten the hang of things and they would have been able to set the world right.

Her usual calm demeanor cast aside for a moment of rage, she slammed her fist down on the table and leaned over it, bracing herself as she slowly inhaled, calming herself down. It was, as her luck would have, this state that her husband returned to find her in. The door opened and she had scarcely enough time to drop the emotions from her features as the Fire Lord walked through the door.

She immediately stood up straight and happiness displayed on her calm features for a brief moment before flashing to concern, and then back to its usual neutral. As this was happing, her legs carried her past the desk, leaving her work and worried behind for a moment, and she embraced her husband, happy to see that he was indeed alright despite the attempted assassination.

"Oh Zuko." She said softly, pulling him against her. "I heard what happened. I'm so glad that your alright." She pushed away slightly and looked him over, noticing the small scar his cheek, opposite of the much more obvious one. As lucky as he was to be alive, she didn't think that the reminder of it would be fading any time soon.

"And I'm glad to see that your ok, Mai." He looked into her eyes and smiled slightly, leaning in and placing a small kiss on her lips before pulling away. As he did though, his look became more concerned. "I heard that my father was dead...but, more than that, I heard that you were almost attacked when someone went after my sister. Was it true Mai?"

She nodded slightly. "Yes Zuko. I was... there visiting one of the war criminals that was in for supporting your father when the assassin attacked. I don't think he was expecting to run into any serious opposition so I was able to bring him down without any harm coming to myself. If I hadn't been there, your sister would probably be dead." And we'd be better off, she thought, her previous unease now coming back to her.

Zuko pulled away and he walked to the window he had been staring out before he had left, holding himself with a slight uncertainty. When he finally spoke, his voice had a degree of worry in it, tense. "Mai...which particular criminal were you there to see?" Someone he was worried to hear, and Mai knew what he was asking. He was worried that she had seen Azula. Zuko wasn't the type to plan ahead much, he hadn't given any thought to how this would go.

She had, however. She had thought several moves ahead, but regardless of how she knew things would go, she had steeled herself to confront Zuko on it and attempt to make things right. But with what had happened...her plans were blown away. If Azula hadn't gone and messed things up, she would have eventually convinced Zuko to have her treated a little more humanely. But now.... if he didn't just have her killed Mai would be surprised. "I was there to see Azula, Zuko."

His entire body seemed to stiffen, and he stopped. After a few moments, his voice now cold, he finally spoke. "I see." Another pause that seemed to hang like eternity. "And?" Nothing more, nothing less. Zuko knew that she would come out completely honestly about her thoughts, so there was little point in specific questions.

"And...I think you were wrong, Zuko. She deserved to be punished, deserved to be locked away for probably the rest of her life, but she didn't deserve to be slowly tortured to death." Zuko went to speak, but she help up her hand to silence him. "No Zuko, hold on for a moment. There were other ways to go about this, ways that would have been more politically acceptable while still getting what you wanted. Its that kind of emotional thinking thats causing issues with diplomacy."

She sighed and stopped, looking into his eyes. He was furious. She could see his thoughts without him actually voicing them. The first thing that would run through his head was being furious at her daring to go see Azula when he had explicit rules against it. The next would be the very slight fear that she might be upset with him, and then the last would be actual rage at her daring to suggest that how he handled his sister had anything to deal with how he was handling the other nations. Which meant the next thing he said would be...

"How dare you." He took a few steps towards her and then stopped, his features overflowing with his anger. "How dare you go to see my sister without my permission? How dare you question my actions? And most of all, how dare you question my ability as the Fire Lord?" He was actually made to the point that he reflexively breathed a little fire from his nose.

For her part, she crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head slightly. "Look, Zuko. This really isn't time for us to go through the usual you getting mad, yelling a lot, me getting upset, and us doing the back and the forth until we eventually work things out." Another moment of Zuko trying to interrupt her and Mai stopping him. "If things hadn't worked out like they had, eventually I would have convinced you to Move her to a slightly better place. But we don't have that option right now."

Zuko, to Mai's surprised, actually faltered for a second, and the anger died down. Something in her look or the way she was talking must have caught his attention for a change. "Why is that, Mai?" His voice was still cold, but his eyes suggest that he was actually listening. Concern had returned to them as well. He must have realized that if Mai was being this blunt with him, there was a real problem.

"Ty Lee has gone to find the Avatar and bring him in to make sure that Azula is treated better." Zuko froze. Rage. Fear. Confusion. All of them ran through his face for a moment before settling on anger finally. Almost as embedded in him as his ability to bend fire was his anger, emotions. Though Mai felt the two were probably linked.

"Thats fine. It doesn't matter. The avatar doesn't have any control over what I do in my nation, let alone what I do with criminal of war." Was what he finally said, and he probably really believed that. But Mai knew better, knew what the avatar coming and seeing that would cause. He would step in, and despite liking Zuko, would demand that things be set more right. Zuko would, of course, refuse out of pride and things would just deteriorate from there.

"We need time Zuko. We need to consider how to handle this. You can't just approach every situation with fire blazing and expect things to work out." She walked closer to her husband and rested her hand on his arm, looking in his eyes with a slightly pleading look in her own. "Please Zuko. Listen to your wife, who cares for you and this nation above all else. Maybe your right about Azula, maybe she deserves everything your getting."

She shook her head slightly. "But Zuko, what you haven't figured out that everyone but maybe the Avatar has is that being right doesn't always matter. If your right and no one else cares, or other people get angry because of it, it has no value. Its not the answer that you present that matters, its how you go about presenting it."

Zuko started to speak but then stop, and she could feel the tenseness leave his body. "We need time to figure out how to present this. Please, Zuko, send some men to escort Ty Lee back under the grounds of her having sensitive knowledge about our nation. And have Azula moved elsewhere, maybe somewhere a little better than she is now. If Ty Lee reaches the Avatar, it needs to look like we realized that maybe theres a better way to handle Azula and are working towards that."

He stared into her eyes for a moment before dropping his and looking away, and she knew that she had finally managed to get through to him. "Your right...Mai. I can't let my personal problems hurt the Fire Nation, and, more importantly, I can't let my Family be the cause of any more suffering for the world. I'll have Azula moved to the boiling rock and placed in the highest security cell there. After that, we'll figure out what we're going to do with her."

Mai smiled and hugged him, overwhelmed for once with good emotions. "Zuko...things are going to work out, really work out now. If we just keeping working towards things like this we'll actually get things turned around." She pushed away and looked seriously into his eyes. "Just promise me that you won't have Ty Lee hurt. Shes an innocent girl whos just doing what -she- thinks is right."

Zuko nodded. "I won't have her killed, Mai, but if she resists being brought back, I will have to have her brought back with whatever force it takes. But I promise I won't allow any more to be used than is absolutely necessary." Mai was relieved, but worried at the same time. She knew Ty Lee wouldn't let herself be brought back. She very well might get hurt. Really hurt.

Just then, there was a knock at the door, and they quickly pulled away from another, straighting themselves out to look more proper before announcing that the person may enter. The door opened slowly and one of the guards stepped through. "I have received word that the ambassadors from the Northern Water Tribe are here. Should I send word back the you are on your way?"

Zuko nodded curtly. "Yes, send word that I will be there momentarily."

The guard nodded and turned, closing the door behind him as he left. The Fire Lord straightened his armor out and retied his hair, glancing in a mirror to make sure he was presentable before heading towards the door. "Just one other thing Mai. If Ty Lee took off to see the avatar, how did you find out?"

Mai shrugged. "Azula slipped up. Maybe she was having one of her little bouts with madness, but she told me that Ty Lee had run off towards the Earth Kingdom to find the Avatar and how you and I would be going down when she got them. She was practically raving."

Zuko laughed as he left, and Mai was left with her own thoughts once more. If it hadn't been for Azula's own slip, Ty Lee would have made it unhindered and Azula might have been released to the Avatars custody. How ironic that she had sunk her own ship.


	11. Falling Star

AN: Schools busy, I apologize for the delay and the short chapter. Thanks to everyone thats reviewed, I'm glad your enjoying it. To everyone that hasn't...drop a review or two my way. Its food to us.

As she crashed into the ocean, falling just short of her goal of Kyoshi Island, Ty Lee's mind played through the events of the past few days, memories and thoughts washing over her even as the light of the world around her began to dim. Even as the sound around her grew more and more distant. Somewhere on the very edges of her perception, as she bobbed with the waves, she thought she heard Suki's voice. Her hand reached out towards the sound before dropping, sinking into the depths of the water, everything fading to dark.

…............................................................................

Running. It had been the only thing she had been able to do. There had been footsteps, voices, and then shouts, and men had come storming into her room. Soldiers. She dived from her bed, body gracefully passing under the outstretched hands of the closest soldier. Bending her head, she twisted her body into a roll, own arm striking out and catching the man in the back of the left leg.

Weight suddenly off balance he stumbled backwards, falling into the soldier that had came in right behind. Her ears caught the sound of them crashing into the corner, but her body was still on the move and she slammed the door behind her. The unsuspecting soldier around the next corner caught a light touch to the neck, causing his body to go numb and him to crash into the wall and then floor.

She thought she might have saw blood, but knew she didn't have to to check. As was, the distraction was almost enough to make her lose her balance as the airship shifted, almost throwing her off the side of the thing. Her arms instinctively caught the rail and kept her upright, but even as she went to continue on she realized that there were another three of them coming from down the hall that she had just came from.

Some guilt kicked up in her then, as she realised that these were her countrymen she was dropping, but she didn't feel that she had a choice given the situation. At this moment, it was either pain for them or a slow, painful death for Azula. Countrymen or not, just doing their job or not, she wasn't going to trade Azula's life just to spare them some harm. She felt a shudder through her, that cold feeling of knowing she had just lost a little of her innocence. But then, this wasn't the first time she had struck someone to save a friend. She had downed Azula that day, one that seemed so far gone now.

Up the stairs and around the corner, she had to wonder why there were so many soldiers on this particular blimp. With her luck, she had probably taken up passage on the same blimp as a platoon that was shipping back to Earth after leave. Azula had always tried to teach her to be more observant, maybe if she had paid a little more attention she wouldn't have to be doing this right now.

Lack of foresight. It seemed to be the recurring theme in her life, a nail that was further hammered in as she rounded the corner, no fewer than twelve soldiers sanding on the deck before her. They must have been just getting ready to come look for her, because they were still standing at attention, waiting on the captain in front.

Foresight or not, she knew how to recognize an opportunity when she had on. Gripping the rail behind her, she swallowed a gulp of uncertainty and then rolled back, letting herself fall from the balcony. It took her a moment to orient herself, rotating her body around to give herself a clear view the ocean below. The only real chance she had was if she was close enough to land that she could make it there with the glider the Avatar had taught her to fly.

Reaching to her back, she grabbed a rod she had managed to somehow keep hold of, and with a flick of her wrist she suddenly felt the updraft of wind rushing past her. Despite the fear and anxiety from the chase, she still managed to feel the exhilaration of floating on the wind, the lack of care that came with being in flight.

Reality was a harsh mistress, however, and it snatched her back to its breast by way of a rain of fire from above. The one to first catch her attention came dangerously close to hitting her, scorching the edge of her glider and sending a wave of heat rushing across her. She twisted in the direction of that first ball, barrel rolling out of the way of the next.

Her memories got hazy after that though. She did her best, she really did, but without any bending, and with a ship full of men raining balls of fire towards her, there was only so much she could do. The inevitable came and she was hit, glider giving way and sending her in a sprawl straight down towards the ocean below.

….................................................................

Hazy vision, the sound of dull footsteps. Murky darkness surrounding her, and a voice she thought she almost recognized. She tried to voice something, anything, but the voice that spoke seemed to only come from her head.

_Did they get me, stop to drag me from the water?_

Heat crackling nearby, a slight glow she thought might be fire in the edges of her sight. Warmth washing over her.

_Are they going to burn me? Punishment...revenge?_

Then something cool placed against her body, The shape of a face, eyes. Anger? Or was it concern? She thought maybe she saw both.

_Something familiar. Voice and eyes. Why can't I see...think?_

Everything seemed like it was so far away, like she was drifting further and further away from it.

_Is this what it feels like to die?_

After a few moments of the disjointed thoughts, the world faded to black once more.

_I'm sorry, Azula._

…...............................................................


	12. Shatter

A turning point, the signpost stuck in the road. But the sign had been muddied, parts of it covered, hidden from view. And what had been shown was twisted, so that each of the paths led somewhere other than what they said. Truth be told, all that asides, it might not even have been the right sign to begin with. He had to wonder if it had all be planned, and he had played right into it, or if the opportunity had merely been presented and taken advantage of.

Regardless of why or how, the end result was that the wool had been pulled over his eyes and now he was going to have to deal with it... and deal with anyone that had been responsible for making it happen. He could feel the frustration and anger grow up in him, the moment since he had received the news stretching into an eternity of thought, of the sound of his own mind. But then the blink of an eye, and reality snapped back to its normal flow.

"What do you mean shes escaped?" Zuko's fist came down, hard, on the arm of his throne, and fire blazed up around him. The soldier delivering the news took a step back in fear, the burns covering his body taking a nasty pain from the flickering heat of the Fire Lords anger.

"It was an ambush." He said as the tongues of heat started to fade down like a serpent, rushing their way back towards Zuko as though he was absorbing the flame back into his body. The guard gulped, and the Fire Lord could tell that he was visibly frightened. It didn't matter though. Not this time. He had been there and let it happen, he deserved to feel the fear.

"What do you mean it was an ambush? No one except myself knew who was being transferred. Everything had been arranged so that the left hand didn't know what the right was doing, and your telling me that there was planning in freeing her?!" He slammed his fist again, another gush of flame washing up and through the room, catching a pair of banners hanging behind him on fire in a dramatic display.

What he said hadn't been entirely true though. There had been one other person that had known the full details of his plan, and that was Mai. But she hadn't betrayed him. She couldn't...could she? But how else did it happen? Azula had been isolated from the world, with no possible way of contacting anyone. His own handpicked guards were the only ones that got to see her, and not even they knew that she was being transferred. The only person who could have planned an ambush was Mai.

He waved his hand dismissing his guard and crossed his left leg over his right, leaning back and resting his head on his left arm as he did so. It made sense, didn't it? Ty Lee was the reason they had to do this in the first place, and Mai had been the one to tell him...shortly after she had a meeting with Azula. Could this have been in the works? The attempted assassination could have just been a fabrication, covering and blending into the assassination of Ozai and his own attempted assassination.

He felt a shiver rush down his spine as he thought about it, something resembling dread and betrayal rising up inside of him. Had Mai plotted with Azula and Ty Lee to have him and Ozai killed so that everyone in the Fire Nation would have no choice but to turn to Azula to lead? The more he thought about it, the more he realized it was the only explanation that made sense, given the facts.

Even if his wife wasn't involved, which he was hoping against hope that she wasn't. Ty Lee definatly had a hand in plotting this, and probably the assassination as well. Azula had her send them after himself and Ozai, and a last one after herself to cover it up. Maybe she knew Mai was visiting that day, or maybe the man just had orders to let himself be killed. Either way, it didn't matter. Ty Lee would be punished for her actions.

He stood and motioned one of his personal attendants over. "See to it that the guards are informed that Ty Lee is to be captured by any means of force that is required. Though I would rather her be captured so that I can get he information I need out of her, if it becomes nessisary, she may be killed if she posses too much resistance."

The man hesitated for a moment too long, perhaps getting ready to bow, and Zuko shot a burst of flame somewhere over his head. Angry or not though, Zuko wouldn't harm anyone innocent. Yell, maybe make a scene, but never actually harm. Pride or not, anger or not, he was still one of the good guys. The difference between him and his sister, he thought. The difference between right and wrong was not harming others to get ahead...or just because you could.

The man snapped a quick salute and was off, and Zuko thought he felt a slight pang of regret. Not for Ty Lee, but for his servant. More and more he found his anger getting the better of him. If only he had some time to relax...shrug some of it off. But unfortunately time wasn't willing to give him that, and he was having to manage as he was.

_One other matter to attend to. _He thought to himself as he made a hard right and exited the side of the audience chamber, heading back towards the palaces personal quarters. He had to speak with Mai and get to cleared up. Even he knew that, perhaps, it was better to wait until he had cooled off before speaking with her, but that was an impossibility now. His hand had been forced.

Taking a deep breath, he pushed forwards, opening the doors to his wifes private quarters and he saw Mai's form rise from the desk she was almost always over, a scroll of parchment snapping closed as she abruptly let go of it from surprise. There was a slight scowl on her face as she looked at him, but it quickly washed away.

"I heard you gave orders that Ty Lee was to be harmed, and possibly even killed." He hadn't given that order but a few moments ago. Mai was a very political person, so he wasn't surprised that she had ears everywhere, even his own court. He had known, of course, but had allowed them to stay so that she could always be updated on the coming and goings, as well as the events as they played out.

"Yes. I take it you knew of the other news as well?" The tone wasn't an accusation, as one might expect from him. Not yet. He was willing to give her a chance, say something that absolved her. He was hoping against hope that she could say some magic words that would make it clear that she had nothing to do with it and he could move on.

Her eyes diverted to the right, worry coming to them. She had already heard the news, which meant she had of course played out the scenarios in her mind. Even if she had no hand in it, she knew how it made her look, and her demeanor showed it. Reservation, maybe a touch of acceptance. Either a guilty party accepting defeat or an innocent one that had reasoned out and accepted the inevitable.

"...Of course, husband." She said, looking into his eyes with a slight pleading look."I know what it looks like, and the only conclusion that you could have reached. This was my planning, my doing. All a plot conveniently tying together to make me look like the guilty party. Zuko...I don't know how, but your sister did this. All of this. She got Ty Lee to go so you would be forced to have her move, so she could have her chance to escape."

"How do I know thats true?" The Fire Lord snapped, finding himself once again hitting an inanimate object to stress his point, and point out his stress. "Everything points to you, Mai. Even if its a plot, there is no way for me to accept with sound mind that you had nothing to do with it! That you didn't betray me." Even the mighty Zuko found himself with tears starting to sting his eyes.

Mai shook her head and grabbed the scroll she had been reading over before storming over to him, past him, and out the door. "Then maybe, when it comes to your wife, you should let your heart do the talking." And then she was gone, past him. Seeking out some place to let off her own steam, he knew, so that she could try to get over it, his lack of trust. And then come back, talk to him then, and try to make things work.

But he had to be skeptical, didn't he? As Fire Lord, more was riding on his shoulders than just his own life, so he couldn't just trust her because her heart said that it was ok. If he listened to his heart, he would call her back, embrace her and kiss her. He would tell her its all right and she would smile at him and say that she knew.

And then she would help him, advise him, tell him was he needed to do to fix this. Azula's following was strong, very strong. Enough people were loyal to her, taking to her side in such a short time, that she was almost untouchable. The situation had become dangerous enough that it wouldn't just be a squad sent in to deal with a small group of people, it would be a full scale battle between armies.

Somehow, someway, Azula had gathered together enough loyal supports, enough men and soldiers from her cell...from being locked in complete isolation from the world... that she had been able to begin a civil war. What they found themselves was the eye of the storm, and Zuko was afraid that he was going to find himself alone.

So thats when he did turn. Turned to call out to her, to make her come back so that it would be ok. So that they could embrace and face his hellspawn of a sister together, a united front. So that Zuko could have the one person that he knew he could absolutely trust standing at his side, watching his back. And they would win, because together they couldn't loose.

And as he was turning, he saw something. Sitting on her personal desk in the corner. Just a faint glimmer coming from a partially opened drawer, but one that he recognized as the seal of his uncle. Curiosity, maybe mistrust given the past hour, seemed to overcome him...control him, even. And he found himself walking forwards against his will, when all he wanted to do was call out to her.

And from the drawer he withdrew a letter from his uncle, a letter explaining that it had been no trouble to call his nephew up for a little wisdom. Something in Zuko stopped, and he felt his heart stop, his body grow cold as reality set in...as he felt his world shatter and everything fall appart.

The parchment fell from his hand as he lost his footing and caught the bed beside him. Mai's bed. His wifes bed. The woman that he had promised to love, and who had promised to love him...

_And the woman that was responsible for me being out of town when my father was assassinated, and was one of the only people who would know where to send an assassin to find me._

It took him awhile, a good while, before he could stand once more. When he did, he carefully replaced the parchment exactly how he had found it, and then turned to exit the room. He paused briefly though, staring out the window that he had spent so much time looking outwards at his kingdom from.

The room had been his mother's, before Mai's. He had thought it was appropriate for the woman that he trusted more than anyone in the world, loved more than anyone, to have the room of the other most important woman in his life. Such bitter irony, he thought. Even the people you trust most will hurt you, betray you. No, that wasn't true. Being close to someone, being blind to them, meant that when they did stab you in the back it hurt that much more.

But now that he knew, he could harden his heart, turn it cold. If Mai and Azula wanted to play these games, he could play them as well. He would _trust _his wife. He would council with her, let her take his words and secrets back to Azula. She would become his unwitting double agent as he fed her false news, and he would line up his dear sister for the take down through her.


	13. Mend

The little drops of light that trickled in through the darkness of her mind seemed to bring back slowly back to her the thoughts and awareness that she thought had been lost, lost for good. A feeling of warmth swept through her as her consciousness slowly started to spread, and she started to become aware of her body once more. First the neck, then her shoulders, arms, torso, legs, feet. It was a wonderful process as she very slowly became more and more aware of the signals that were coming to her from them.

She expected extreme pain, burns, broken bones. Everything that she could reasonably expect. But rather than her mind being lit up by thousands of desperate cries from the rest of her body, she was instead greeted by just the barest of signals, as though her body was asleep. She could just make out that they were there, still attached, but beyond that nothing.

The little droplets of light, of vary subtle differences and colors, slowly began to merge together and take the form of blurry shapes, blobs of various sizes. Slowly, though, these blobs began to take on defining edges separating them from each other as they became objects and shapes. A glow, a source of light that she could guess at being a candle, sent a small shudder through her mind as she was reminded of fire.

Beneath it, the table it was sitting on began to take form. Wooden, polished. A light brown with a gloss that was reflecting a bit of the glare from the candle sitting on its surface. Another glare behind it caught her attention and her eyes focused as well as they could on it. After a few moments she realised it was a window, the translucent panes reflecting shapes of the room.

Slowly the light faded, the colors and shapes were lost in darkness as her eyes drifted shut once more. She tried to force them back open but found that it was a battle that she couldn't win. A sound, footstep she identified, caught her attention and she stopped trying to see. Warmth spread through her shoulder as she thought she felt a hand on it. The comfort spread through her mind and she relaxed, falling back into the world of darkness.

…..................................................................................................

The second time wasn't as dramatic. It was like waking up. Waking up from a deep sleep, but waking up all the same. The first time had been more like...being born. Coming out of the darkness of nothing and taking in a breath of life for the first time. She had felt like she really had died, and that she had come back. But the truth didn't matter as much as how she felt.

This time when her eyes opened, a very familiar form was sitting beside her bed, looking down at her. Eyes widened as she realized who it was, and slight tears formed as it really clicked that she was still alive. There was a separation between knowledge and actual acceptance of something, and this made her cross the line.

"Suki!" Her tone was excited, but not particularly loud. She tried to say it with her normal voice, the excitement most people expected from her, but it hadn't worked out for her as she felt her chest hurt and the air didn't quite move like she needed.

"Easy Ty Lee." A smile indicated that she was happy to see her, but there was worry in her eyes, and Ty Lee thought she might have some idea of why.

"It was hard to miss the flames raining down into the sea not far off our shore. When we went to investigate, we found you barely alive, most of your bones broken and several burns. We had a few water benders that owed us some favors drop in to help patch you up..." She trailed off, the worry becoming more apparent. "When they didn't find your body Ty, they assumed you escaped. We told them you weren't here...you are one of us after all."

Ty Lee nodded and closed her eyes, taking a breath and giving it a little thoughts. They wouldn't have the right to just knock on the door looking for her for no reason, especially given the fire bending. Which obviously meant...

"Ty, their saying that your wanted in the fire nation. That you and Azula organized an assassination of every member of the royal family and even managed to have Ozai killed." Her eyes dropped to look at the floor and their lids half shut clearly showing fear. "I know that you couldn't possibly have done something like that...but did you help her Ty?"

Ty Lee shook her head as well as she could, and answered in a whisper, but a bit frantically. "I am trying to help Azula, but not like that. Zuko's had her locked in this little bitty cage since the end of the war, just left her there. She was supposed to be getting help, you know? But she wasn't. Zuko was just letting her die and stuff. And me and Mai found out and were going to do something about it, but Azula said Zuko wouldn't listen, and I agreed, you know, he's hard headed..." She trailed off, the pain flaring up.

Suki nodded and gave it some thought before finally replying. "I don't trust Azula, Ty Lee. But I trust you. I think shes planning something and using you, but I know that you didn't have anything to do with the assassinations. You wouldn't have gone along with that..." She trailed off, thinking some more. It was a delicate situation. "What are you trying to do for her, Ty Lee?"

Ty Lee opened her eyes and looked into Suki's. "Shes requested the Avatars intervention. She wants him to come and tell Zuko that he can't treat her like that, that its violating her rights even as a war criminal. And she's right, Suki. She really is. Zuko can't treat her like that...not like that." She slowly crossed her arms over her chest as she remembered. "You didn't see her. She was chained to the wall, her bones were showing through her skin....she was bleeding, and shes still a little crazy."

Suki once again put her hand on Ty Lee's shoulder. "Stop, Ty. I believe you. Even if I don't trust Azula farther than I can throw her, I believe you, and it does seem like something Zuko would do, from what I know of him." She shook her head. "Your doing the right thing, if thats the case. Aang...I mean, the Avatar is the only person that has the right to intervene."

Ty Lee nodded. "Do you know where he is? The faster I can get to him, the better." She started to sit up, and ignored the pain signals going off in her body. It was rough, it felt like her entire body was on fire.

Suki's hand became a little more forceful and pushed her as gently as she could back down. "Ty, rest. You won't make it far like that." She shook her head. "Yes. The Avatar is currently north of Ba Sing Se, helping some of the villages that way recover. The war was hard on them, as it was for all of us. The part of the fire navy that attacked the north pole had been engaged with them before that attack."

A sigh was Ty Lee's response. That was a long way to travel, and in her condition she actually feared for her ability to make it. "Can you help me, Suki? Some supplies, maybe an Ostrich horse?"If she didn't have to do it on foot, she thought she might have better luck.

"Its...this is a very difficult political situation. I don't think you really understand how difficult. We can give you the supplies you want, even the Ostrich horse, but thats it. Any more help than that, and if they find out...we might be looking at another war." She looked at Ty Lee directly. "Because of that, we almost already have one. A squad of fire benders shooting off in Earth Nation waters...the political fallout wasn't pretty. Things are already enough on edge without that."

Ty Lee looked away. Because of her actions...she had almost started a war. It wasn't her fault though, it was Zuko's, wasn't it? He sent them after her, made her a criminal...and Mai was letting him. They had tried to kill her. Was Mai... no, it wasn't possible. Mai couldn't know that Zuko had told them to kill her. She wouldn't have let that happen...but she was letting Azula stay in that cell...maybe she would?

Ty Lee didn't know what to think, so she didn't. There was no way for her to know what was going on back home, in other peoples heads...she wasn't Azula and Mai, she couldn't figure people out like that. Thats something they could do that she really respected, but didn't ever want for herself. She liked just doing, just being. No, she'd concentrate on what she was doing, because she knew what she was doing was the right thing.

"I'm sorry Suki. I really am. But I have to save Azula. I can't just sit by and watch her die." She reached her hand out towards the light coming in from the window. "I didn't mean for everything to happen like it has. It was supposed to be easy. Go get the Avatar, come back. Azula gets moved somewhere and gets real help, gets better. And eventually everyones happy."

She let her hand drop. "Just like that, though...it falls apart. Now I'm hunted, wanted dead I think, by my own country. I was just supposed to be a messenger...and instead, now I'm Azula's Knight." Everything had gone wrong, become complicated. Even if her course of action was still simple.

"Her knight in shining armor." Suki said, with a sad smile of her own. "Your actions and motives are pure, Ty Lee, just like you. Even if your working for the dark queen. She doesn't deserve you...but I know you wouldn't stop what your doing even if I tried to convince you."

Ty Lee nodded. "I've been hearing that a lot lately....shes not as dark as you think, though. There's good in her...and regardless, shes a human being. No one deserves to be treated that way. Not even Ozai was punished that harshly."

Suki nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Ty Lee... One minute." She said as there was a knock on the door. She stood and walked to it, opening it and vanishing into the hall for a few moments. Ty Lee couldn't make out anything that they said, but when she returned she had a smile, an actual, happy smile. "A healing specialist, a very good water bender, will be stopping by to treat you tomorrow. You should be able to leave tomorrow night."

Ty Lee returned the smile, but then it slipped a bit. "Why are the water benders helping me and keeping it quite? Didn't they hear that I conspired with Azula and all that?"

Suki shrugged. "It helps when your boyfriend has a lot of pull with the water tribe. He's currently down in the southern tribe or I'd be making him go with you." There was a slightly serious look on her face, but a playful one at the same time. One of those "He'd do it cause I'd tell him to" that most women eventually came to posses.

Ty Lee noticed that the door had been left open, and that Suki was still standing in it. "Ty...you need to get some more rest. Tomorrows going to be very tough on you, and your going to have to leave under the cover of the night. You need to be at your best...or as best as you can."

Ty Lee nodded. "Good night Suki...thank you so much." If Suki hadn't been there...hadn't saved her, Ty Lee really would be dead right now.

"Your one of us Ty Lee...and one of the best people that I know. I'd do it a thousand times over." And with that she was back out and Ty was left with her own thoughts, that themselves slowly drifted off into the darkness of sleep once more.


	14. Mirror

A throne inlaid with gold. A crimson carpet, thick and widen from the entrance to her raised dais. A marble floor with raised obsidian pillars painstakingly carved just for her. Priceless statues that would fail to catch no ones attention. It was the vision of greatness that she deserved and nothing less. Unfortunately for her, these were all things that she was currently lacking.

They had managed to get her a reasonably nice throne, though she found it quaint, and while she did have a stone floor, it was slate rather than marble. Her vision of Statues had been replaced at the moment by a small legion of guards, and her rich carpet and pillars were completely lacking from the picture.

The end result was that her throne room looked more like she was queen on a small war tribe than Fire Lord, but she was going to have to settle. Eventually she would have the Fire Palace proper, so having to grin and bare what used to be a prison was a small price to pay. After all, for her purposes, it was better. While prisons were designed at keeping unwanted people in, they did a pretty good job of keeping them out as well, and while she controlled near half the nation, she herself couldn't Firebend, so she'd rather not take her chances.

Yes, while Azula wasn't particularly happy about her situation, it was quite a step up from the cell that she had been occupying a week ago. A slight smile came to her face as she remembered her liberation, remembered the feeling of having men loyal to her, her own army, storm onto the transport and free her from her captors. No one on Zuko's side had been killed though, appearances had to be maintained after all.

She raised a hand and one of her servants was almost instantly at her feet, ready to take her order and do whatever needed to be done. "You may rise." She said, her old authoritative tone having easily be regained once she found herself in a position of power.

With a bow of his head, her servant did as told and stood, keeping his eyes diverted from looking directly in hers out of a servitude. "Yes Fire Lord, what can I do for you?" his voice was respectful, carrying the full weight of what he said. To these people, she really was the Fire Lord.

"Has any word been received yet from either Ty Lee or the Avatar?" It wasn't like Ty Lee to be any less than punctual. Well, that wasn't exactly right. It wasn't like Ty Lee to be any less than punctual when it came to matters that she was worked up about, and Azula felt as though she had done a fairly good job of stressing the importance of her task before she left.

"No my lady. There has been no word from either Lady Ty Lee or the Avatar. Should I send word to his coterie?" There was slight apprehension. After all, in the past, Azula had been less than...polite, when dealing with bad news.

"There will be no need for that." If Ty Lee had yet to reach the Avatar, he wouldn't have heard her side of the story. That meant, of course, he would come storming in here to beat the stuffing out of her side and send her back to jail so his little friend Zuzu could have his play toys back. Granted, Azula had no false hope that it would be much different even with Ty Lee having reached him, but at least with that he would approach the situation with a bit less inherent force.

"No, for now I think I would like to have..." She was interrupted by a rather loud commotion outside of the doors to a chamber, and a slight smile spread across her face as she waved her hand, indicating that the servant was to leave her. It seemed that someone was a little earlier than she had anticipated, which was a nice change of pace. She'd rather get this over with.

Another servant quickly came running towards her from outside of her hall. "My Lady, the former..." A wave of her hand silenced him and another wave, this time towards the door, sent him hurrying back in that direction to permit the person entry into her inner halls. She needed a moment to be quite, for she had to draw her composure. It was quite a bit harder than it had been before her little episode...something in her mind didn't tick exactly right any more.

"AZULA!" The voice raged through the hall like fire as the doors burst open, and flames as hot as the rage shot down the middle. She suddenly found herself amused she didn't have carpet, as it would have been singed and she would have had to grow angry. Of course, the fire itself was intercepted and scattered against the unrelenting stone long before it got close enough to even warm her.

"Ah, dear brother. I should be honored that you've stopped by shortly after my coronation. Tell, me, are you here for the party?" This elicited the reaction that she was expecting, flames from the nose and mouth, and a steady storm of stomping feat in her direction. Some of her elite guards moved to stop the young man, but a raised hand held them at bay.

"What party, what coronation?" He roared. "You must be more touched in the head than I thought. I am fire lord, Azula." To describe Zuko as pissed would be about the largest understatement one could make. She could just here his thoughts now. "How dare she. I am fire lord. What kind of insult to my pride is this? This is ridiculous!" She chuckled despite herself. Anger flashed across her features for a moment as she berated herself for allowing such a slip, before she realized she had allowed that slip as well.

"Funny." She raised a finger to her lips as though in thought. "You don't look like an Azula to me." Turning her attention for a fleeting moment, she caught sight of her reflection for a moment in a mirror and held her view for a dramatic second. "As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure -I- am Fire Lord Azula, dear brother." His weight shifted as he brought himself into a firebending stance, and even as her guard was moving she raised a finger and waved it.

"Dear brother, you seem to be missing the fact that this is my Elysium. Every honored soldier here is mine. Should you act hostile towards me, I guarantee that you would never walk out of here alive. Even you can't take this many elite Firebenders, Zuzu."

His reaction was a roar and his body tensed, but didn't take any further action towards harming her. "I don't know what kind of delusion your under, Azula, but I am Fire Lord, and your just a pretender to the throne. This nation listens to me, obeys me, trusts me. What do you claim, Azula, asides from this band of traitors?"

She laughed, high and loud. Not the insane crackle that she had once possessed but rather than cool "thats so cute" laugh that she had reserved for disdain before her slip from grace. "As terrible at politics as you always were, Zuzu, you know as well as I do that 45-50% of this country recognizes my rule. Some always supported me, and with the tragic death of our father, who were his supporters to turn to? You? The man who helped put him in prison, and the man that was slowly destroying our country? Oh, thats right. You yourself drove a few of them to my causes over the past year, Zuzu."

His fists clinched so hard that he drew blood, but he didn't attacked. She found herself a little disappointed. It would have been so much easier if he just got himself killed here. A simple justified game over, and then she really would be undisputed Fire Lord, just like that. But she had planned on this. She had planned on Zuzu's control increasing since she had dealt with him.

"So why are you here, dear brother? You didn't bring any muscle with you, so it wasn't to try and overthrow me." She leaned forwards as though she was genuinely interested in what he had to say. Her left eyebrow raised and she smiled at him. One could only wonder what was running through Zuko's mind sometimes, but she knew it would be ammusing.

"I've come to offer you...help. Azula." He said, dropping his eyes to the floor with some slight shame. "You'll be moved to a very nice room in a hospital, and treated until your better. And then you'll be..." He swallowed as though it was hard to say. "And then you'll be welcomed back into the royal family, Azula."

Her other eyebrow raised and a look of genuine suprise came across her features. After a few moments, she burst out with what was perhaps the most intense laughter that had ever came from the young woman. It took a few minutes to bring herself under control as tears started to touch her eyes from the duration.

"Oh..oh brother. Thats great. You want to make me better, Zuzu? I'm in control of half the fire nation, with the rest certainly only a small time away from coming to my side, and you dare to offer help me? How about this, instead, brother? You welcome me back into the family, willingly hand me the throne, and I let you keep a nice palace somewhere, with all the privileges of Royalty?" It was a very generous offer on her part, she though. She knew Zuko wouldn't be willing to take it, but that was because he was far to stubborn to be strategic.

"Thats it Azula, I think we're done here. You've been...less than cooperative, as I thought. But I was willing to give you a chance, don't forget that." His only response, as he turned and began to walk back towards the door. Her face twisted into a grin at his back. It had been a move to insure a gracious appearance. To bad her offer had been more generous.

"You offer me entrapment in exchange for me relinquishing control of the throne back to you so that you can destroy us. Instead I offer you all the privileges of royalty in exchange for letting me save it. Dear Zuzu, you have some nerve to think that yours is the winning hand. The country is slowly slipping from your grasp into mine. I will be the eventual victor, with time all on my side. Either hold on to this illusion of power and watch it slip away from you, or take my offer."

He stopped, and turned his head back to look at her. "The throne is MINE Azula. I won the right to it in Agni Kai fairly!"

He had slipped. He had fallen into the trap that she had laid for him. She knew that if pressed, he would fall back on that, his right to rule through victory. His right to rule because he defeated her during his challenge for the throne. But as she had pointed out before... "Sorry, dear brother. It seems that I expected to much in you, to remember our last conversation. You didn't win that fight. The Water bender, Katara, won that fight."

Everyone in the room but her stiffened noticeably, but none more than Zuko. She hadn't advertised it to her troops, for without Zuko present, it would seem like nothing more than a boost on her part and weaken her positon. After all, a leader that needed to lie wasn't a very strong one. It was part of the reason Azula had done away with lying. Insuring that the truth was always on your side made your position so much stronger...and when needed, you just allowed others to draw their own false assumptions, as she was going to do at the end of this little rendezvous.

"How dare you, Azula? At the end of the fight, I was the one still standing and you were on the ground crying your eyes out." His eye was angry, but his posture clearly displayed some degree of shock, and shame. It wasn't subtle, though. It didn't take Azula's trained eyes to see it. To everyone in the room, it was clearly that her words held truth.

"Right. Because Katara healed you, and because I had a mental break." She waved her hand dismissively. "I've admitted all of my weaknesses to my people, and they still accept me. Tell me, how much have you had to hide to achieve the same?" There were...more colorful words she could use when referring to the Avatar's bitch, but as that group was a very strong political force, keeping a political mind when referring to them was in her best interest.

It was too much for Zuko though. She spun to face her, throwing fire in the process that was once more quickly deflected, and once more she raised her hand to stop her guards from bringing him down. No, it would be more fun to play the chess game that was to come than to let him off this easy. He would watch his rule, his world, fall apart for what he did to her. Death was too easy.

"Fine, Azula. I challenge you right now, for the rule of the country, to Agni Kai."

She raised her eyebrows in surprise this time, and while on the surface it was genuine, in her mind it was false. This is the little game she played, the position she had backed him to. "Always one to use force to solve your problems dear brother. This is why our position with the other nations is falling apart, because you lack any hint of finesse." She shrugged and crossed her left leg over her right knee, resting her hand against her palm while smiling across the hall towards him. "While I recognize your right to challenge me to Agni Kai, I'm afraid it won't be quite that simple. You see, Agni Kai can only be declared on another Fire Bender. And as you were so kind to insure that wasn't a possibility...well, you removed the possibility of solving this with a fire duel."

Hostility showed on his features, and then further anger as he realized that it was directly his fault that he couldn't end this now, take re-control of his country with one decisive battle. But it planted in his mind the seed of a thought. If he could get the Avatar to restore her bending, then he could challenge her once more and end this.

And that was exactly the thought that she wanted him to have. Once contact was made with the Avatar, she would put pressure on him to return her bending. He would resist, of course, but once dear Zuzu asked him to, so that he could take control of his country in the only method he knew, force. And now that her sanity had been returned to her, for the most part, she was confident in her ability to win when that day came once more.

No response came from Zuko, instead he turned to leave, his brilliant plan already hatching in his mind and she had to keep from laughing at him.

"One last thing, dear brother. Knowing how you work...should any permanent harm befall Ty Lee, I will insure that you suffer the same fate. It would be such a shame to have to break my promise to spare you, but I will not tolerate harm befalling my closest....friend."


	15. Web

Movement in the dark, traveling onwards to escape from what lay behind. They had told her it would be like this, but she hadn't had any choice. She had to get going. Her destination was the only thing that would save her, and more importantly, save Azula. She wondered if maybe she should have found someone stronger to give the task to.

It was something that really ate at her. Maybe she just wasn't strong enough to pull it off. She had been selfish to take it on herself. She wanted to save Azula, so instead of finding someone better, she was doing it herself. But the argument was, the thing that kept her belief in herself strong, was that Azula chose her, trusted her. That counted for something… actually; that counted for everything.

Her mind came back to reality as a spatter of light broke through the leaves above, spilling in disjointed rays like droplets. She was very aware of the crisp autumn colors, as she had been indisposed and had missed the transition. Suki had told her it had lasted just over a week… but the world seemed to have changed so much for such a short amount of time. She was growing increasingly worried as time progressed. If this was how much the world had changed here, how much had things changed back home?

Present won out once more though, in a rather violent fashion. She was aware of the glow reflecting off of the foliage and in the darkness before any heat or sound registered, and her instinct to throw herself forwards and practically hung her mount saved her a potentially debilitating burn. The animal was, of course, spooked by the large blast of fire and quickly broke its stable stride into a flat run forwards.

Sparing a glance back, Ty Lee caught site of at least three Fire Nation soldiers, ridding on the back of a pair of Komodo Rhinos. If she was more politically oriented, the question of the legality of fire nation soldiers perusing her on earth soil would have been present, but as she wasn't and given the present nature of the situation her attention was quite fixed on staying alive.

Komodo Rhinos were sturdy animals capable of throwing around a good deal of bulk and taking a beating, but her Ostrich horse was faster. Another fire blast came from behind and she jerked to the left on her reigns. Well trained, the animal quickly obeyed and twisted itself in that direction, putting a tree between herself and the burst. While she was saved, the tree was lost in a plum of smoke and ash.

It was a good distraction, and one the young acrobat was both grateful for and took full advantage of. Ty Lee drew her legs up and bent herself into a slight crouch on the animals back, and after pausing briefly to give in a small pat on the head, leapt of and grabbed hold of a branch above her. Momentum carried her forwards in a swing and she gracefully shifted herself as she came up and over it to land in a crouch on top of it. Easy as pie, though the sensation of doing an acrobatic stunt while near fire brought back certain less than pleasant memories of how she had come back into Azula's life.

A slight sight escaped from her lips as she turned her attention slightly behind her, watching the three soldiers emerge from the veil of smoke. As quickly as she had come to be where she was, she let herself fall. Hands braced against the skull of the first komodo rhino as she landed in a handstand on it, and using the leverage she shifted her downward momentum into an overhead kick.

Her legs came together and down in a crescent, clubbing the rider with enough force to knock him out, but his saddle and spurs kept him locked in position. As he fell backwards her legs continued to descend, planting on his face and giving her footing to spring from the hand stand. Her body came up into a slight standing position, though followed through into a forwards facing crouch.

Using the heavy soldier for bracing, she gripped the back of the rhino's saddle and launched herself forwards. Her speed was faster than she had anticipated, however, and rather than land on the next rhino's head, she instead shot past it. Her shoulder collided with the face of the soldier mounted on it, and she felt bone give way under her energy. The crash also sent pain shooting through her upper arm and neck, and she rebounded off.

Quick reflexes caught site of the last rhino charging for her airborne form, and she used all the strength and speed she could muster to grab hold of its horn and twist herself to the side, avoiding the goring that would have been sure to follow. Body lined up right as she barely twisted past, and her skilled limbs striked out, sealing the beasts energy flows.

Even as she crashed into the ground and felt bone groan and flesh rip, she was rewards with the sound of a much heavier crash coming from behind. She turned her head to assess the situation and saw that the soldier riding on the animal was currently half trapped under it, his left leg crushed between the beast and the ground. With the other two unconscious, that left her safe from this squad and a moment to catch her breath before she tried to catch up to her ostrich.

She didn't have that chance though. Before she could react, a forth Rhino burst through the smoke, its rider quickly taking in the situation and parking his beast right above her, fist leveled at her chest. If she had been at peak condition, she thought she might be able to react quick enough, but given the incident a week ago and her crash just a moment ago, she was a little weary about her bodies' ability right this second.

"Ty Lee." He said after a moment. "You are charged with the attempted assassination of the Fire Lord, and the assassination of the previous fire lord. You are also charged with fleeing, resisting arrest, treason…" He glanced around. "And assault and attempt murder of nationals and solders of the Fire Nation. How do you plead?"

She gulped, quickly looking around for either cover or another way out from where she was. "Um…not guilty?" No luck. It looked like she was going to have to go straight for it.

The gruff soldier continued on, as though not having heard her. "The Fire Nation finds you guilty of these charges, and sentences you to death."

Several things happened at that moment. Ty Lee braced herself to push off to the side when the blast came, hopefully able to lift herself into a sideways handstand and get the ground back under a part of her that could move with it. The soldiers fist lashed out, energy crackling to life around it and the jet of flames quickly washing towards her.

Even as the flames flew forwards and her body twisted, she became very aware of the fact that she wasn't moving quite quick enough. A feeling of dread washed over her as she realized that the flames that were drawing towards her as though in slow motion would, if not kill her, leave her severely injured and unable to continue on her mission.

She also became acutely, aware, however, of the soldiers head twisting as what looked like some sort of metal impacted with the side of his helmet, and he began to slowly slump over in her world of slow motion.

Even as all of this was happening, she also became aware of a slight trembling in the earth near her, and a jut or rock shot up just inches away from her. Flames licked at it and washed around, warming her and causing some slight singing, but she found herself very grateful none the less.

Need gone, her body relaxed into a roll instead of a stand, and as she came over her right arm she had to bite back a scream as pain shot through it and the rest of her body. The only thought she could manage for a moment was the limb must have broken when she hit the solider. While excruciatingly painful, though, it wouldn't debilitate her from moving on, and for that she was happy.

Pine subsided enough for her to think clearly, she became aware of two new forms standing over her. One stood head held high with pride and clothed in blue, armed to the teeth and solemn looking, while the other was…short, and looked all to smug at the situation. Not that she cared. Wasn't in Ty Lees nature to get worked up about the particulars of a rescue.

"Sokka! Toph!" She managed a weak smile towards the pair, managing to break it through the grimace that was unnaturally placed on her face. "What are you doing here?"

"Saving a broken knight, by the looks of things." Toph, obviously, the smile big and bragging, though Ty Lee knew there wasn't any mal-intent behind it. That's just how the girl was, and she actually found it a little endearing. Or would, if she wasn't in a great deal of pain.

"Suki was worried about you. And for good reason it seems." Sokka. His brow was furrowed slightly, obviously disturbed by what had just transpired, and probably more so, what would have probably transpired had they not arrived when they did. "I had my reservations about helping you, knowing that your working for Azula though." His eyes looked over her, as though judging her, trying to find her sins and faults. But then they looked away, seeming to have found little.

"Lucky for you, I ran into meathead over here on my way South. Heard there was some commotion with Fire Navy ships shooting flames in Earth Kingdom waters. Thought it would be a good chance to bust some Fire Natio heads for old times sake. The arena was getting boring."

Ty Lee managed a weak nod of understanding and gratitude towards the pair. "So…if you know I'm working to help Azula, why did you help me? After what me, Mai and her did to you all during the war.." She trailed off. "And your Zuko's friends…" It was an honest question. Political mind or not, even Ty Lee was a little weary given everything that had happened.

"Your right. We don't hold anything but unpleasant memories of princess batshit herself." Toph's form shifted as she crossed her arms over her chest. "But regardless of who your working for, and why your working for them, no one has the right to have you hunted down and killed, not without a fair trial at least. Beyond that, especially not on Earth Nation soil. When I find the commanding officer for this I'm going to express certain feelings towards this personally."

"Basically what she said. I'm a pretty good judge of character, and I'd like to think that intentionally killing someone would be just about as much on board with you as Aang, let alone assassination. Zuko's got some pretty bad traits, and at the moment I think anger and paranoia are right at the top of that list. And while we supported Zuko…you couldn't really call us friends. We just recognized he wasn't a bad guy and gave him a chance to prove it."

He crouched down towards her and reached under her shoulders, doing his best to support the injured one. "Aang was heading back down this way to see how things were going at the Southern Water tribe. I'll send a message to him to stop off and pick us up on the way, and you can explain your situation to him then…and my sister can see about fixing your arm for you." As he picked her up, he stopped and looked around. She could feel slight shudder carry through him. "This reminds me too much of…well. I don't know if any of us have very pleasant memories of that time. I hope this isn't foreshadowing towards something worse.

Toph laughed. "Speak for yourself dunderbrains. I'm just upset that we didn't get here in time to fight the rest of them."

Sokka shook his head. "No Toph. Not like that. I mean…depending on how thing go… I don't want to have to fight another war. This was a really, really stupid move on the Fire Nations part, on Zuko's part. He just threw at least three treaties out the window. And for what, misguided revenge, or some fear that little Ty Lee here is going to be the key to overthrowing his empire?"

Another chuckle from Toph, but this time a good deal darker. "The broken knight. It would be fairly ironic if princess over here was actually a herald of doom." Her tone was somber. Though she didn't mean it as though it might sound, the message was clear none the less. For whatever reason, Ty Lee was an important symbol of things.

And that was something she herself knew all to well. All of this had happened because she was out here, trying to help Azula. The world was being ripped apart, caution thrown completely out, to stop her from doing that. It didn't take a genius to figure out that for whatever reason, Zuko was afraid…desperate even, to stop it from happening.

"Sorry for everything that's getting caused because of me…" She said finally. "But I couldn't just sit by and do nothing while something wrong was happening to my friend."

Sokka glanced down at her before returning to the path ahead as he started walking. "I know. I wouldn't be here if I thought you were guilty."


	16. Reset

Eyes raised to rest on the door across the room, glimpsing the table she sat before and the chairs that circled it in the process. Glare of candles lighting the walls was clear out of her peripheral, as were the few high classed generals she had chosen due to their distinctive rank, and for nothing more. What she had been careful to make the distinction of, however, was to insure that no general that sat in on her upper council was guilty of any more serious war crimes than the generals of the other nations. It was an important political distinction, and one the other nations would recognize.

The doors parted and two of her guards stepped through and parted to each side, permitting a small contingent to enter. Blues were the dominant color that caught the eye, as did the proud stance and the distinctive animal pelts that they wore. To anyone that hadn't lived under a rock the majority of their lives, the men were very obviously Southern Water Tribe.

While, by their elaborate dress, they were obviously people of importance, a less informed person might neglect to notice that the leader of this particular group was Hakoda. This was of importance to her plans for several reasons, but the primary was that he was the father of one of the Avatars compatriots. While her personal involvement with the water tribes had been limited and more overlooked than Zuko's by a good margin, her personal quest against the group would negate this advantage somewhat.

She stood and greeted him with a pleasant smile and a polite bow, gesturing for him to take his position at her table. "Chief Hakoda, its an honor that you've agreed to meet with me." He returned a slight nod of the head but there had been a moment of obvious hesitation; either because he wasn't expecting her own or if he was unsure that he should do so.

"Let me save us both some time. I do no know what your expecting to come of this meeting, Azula, but we will not be backing you in your claim to the throne." Had this been a conversation with Zuko, or a meeting with anyone before the end of the war, a a slight grin would have crossed her face to demean the other person... but she restrained herself.

"Chief Hakoda, I would not expect anything of this nature, nor would I allow it. The dispute over the throne is an internal Fire Nation mater, and will be resolved with internal politics. If we are to be frank, I would like you to agree that the Southern Water Tribe will avoid interfering with either side in the disputes, and what may result out of them. But that's a discussion for the end of the meeting I think."

She leaned forwards and rested her arm on the table, rolling out a map with her free hand. "I'll skip the formalities so that we may begin. I understand that in the Southern Tribe, it is your preferred method to be direct with your dealings." It was somewhat contrary to their elemental nature, but she figured it had something to do with the split from the Northern tribe, who were much more politically oriented.

He grunted his agreement and didn't speak, so she continued on. "As your aware, roughly half of the Fire Nation follows me. I control a small majority in the military, and as will prove to be beneficial to both the Southern and the Northern Water tribes, a fair portion of this force is situated within sovereign water tribe territory. Or, what had been water tribe territory many, many years ago in some instances."

She gestured at the map. "As you can see, I have outlined the areas currently controlled by the fire nation that once belonged to your own, and have subdivided that into the sections in which the military authority is my own. For the next year, my military and civilian force will gradually withdraw itself, reaching the indicate milestones at each time frame," She pointed towards a few dotted outlines. "

The end result is that at the end of this time next year, all of your ground that is within my power to return at this moment will be..." She trailed off. "Of course, should I become sole and sovereign ruler over my nation, I assure you that the maps will be once more reviewed and a revised withdraw will be drawn up as to expedite the return of all of your ancestral land to you once more."

Hakoda looked at Azula, and regarded her in a stern manner. She could see the thoughts tinking around in his head as he considered her words. After all, she had basically offered to give him everything that he wanted in exchange for nothing. Everything that was in her power to give at the moment at any rate. Finally, he leaned in. "Just like that then, Azula? Why would you turn in all of the chips you have?"

She smiled at him. Hakoda was smart. Beyond just truth, she was going to have to offer a slight, controlled slice of her motives in order to get him to believe her. "As you can see, my position here is quite...precarious. While I trust in the other nations not to intervene in an internal Fire Nation conflict, I would like to insure that when I come out on top I find a world willing to accept my rule. I'm not asking you to support me, Chief Hakoda. I'm just asking you not to oppose me when all is said and done."

The Chief sat back and crossed his arms over his chest, once again contemplating. "Very well, Azula. Our nation has suffered enough as a result of our dealings with yours. We would not put ourselves out to be harmed further to stop you from harming yourselves. Beyond that and so long as your intentions remain pure, and we will be watching you Azula, we will recognize whichever of you finds themselves sitting on the throne."

Azula nodded, a slight smile coming to her features. "Very good, Chief Hakoda, I expected nothing less from a man with your experience." She looked back down on the map. "Now that the basics are taken care of, there are a number of other matters to go over. The first of which is that there will surely be some Fire Nation Nationals that have taken to your way of life from living on your land. Once your land is reclaimed, may those that wish join your nation?"

Hakoda scratched his head and shrugged. "Anyone that is willing to respect our ways and pull their own weight is welcome amongst our tribe, and the other tribes will answer the same. There will be no issue with such people living with us."

Azula nodded once more. "Very well. Also, we have a number of mining operations occurring within the land that we currently hold. While we don't expect you to allow us to tap into your resources for free, they are resources that your people do not make use of. We would like to establish a trade agreement so that we may continue to use the facilities that we have established to acquire resources for our own nation."

Another nod from the older man. "I had expected as much. As you are aware, my tribe frowns on your use of coals and other resources that require burning to release their energy. We find the process to be unnatural, and it causes an undeniable damage to the area around both the area of mining as well as when its used for its given intent. In order for us to allow you to continue in good conscious, you must put into place measures to protect the area near your operations from harm. Further, we would request that you look into your own operations to minimize damage there as well."

Another smile from Azula, this one internal. She had already given this possibility some consideration, and had prepared for possible resolutions ahead of time. Outwardly, she maintained a calm and reflective view, one fitting a concerned queen. "Due to the strain of the past few wars on all of the nations, we are not in a sufficient economic surplus as to have the resources to devote to such an endeavorer. However, due to the strain that it does place on your own cultures, I would be willing to allow such development to occur external of the Fire Nation, and once we become more economically stable we would give consideration towards implementing them within our own boarder as well."

Hakoda looked a little shock. She was giving grounds on all of his issues with little to no resistance. She understood very well. Thus far, all such attempts to negotiate with the fire nation had gone over...less than smoothly. "Very well, that is acceptable. With regards to the trade we would expect in return...."

…................................................................

The rest of the meeting had gone unexciting. Details had been hammered out, and following his leaving she had given the orders for things to begin immediately. She was sure that she would have been able to milk more out of the exchanges, but given her current standing, she had to insure that by the end of her conflict with Zuko, not only would the other nations accept her rule, they would secretly be rooting for it.

Today had been a good start to that ends. By so easily cleaning up a sore spot for her nations relations with one of the villages, particularly one that she had little to no personal conflict with, she was opening the door to future precedings going as well. For now, though, and the rest of the day, she found herself out in her courtyard, attempting to hone her skills.

The striking fist, stopped just short of its full reach to provide forward momentum and energy, the stop gap permitting the energy of fire to lick forwards. Limb retracted, center of mass shifted down and away, providing balance for a kick to swing up and around, gracefully following through back to the ground facing in the opposite direction. This provided stable footing for a second kick, but where as the mind was still skilled the body was lacking and gave way to undignified lay her on the ground.

Rough stone met the flesh of her arm as it came down to brace the rest of her body against the fall. The rough surface was unkind to the soft flesh, biting in to it and tearing it away, leaving a gap that was quickly filled with a flow of crimson. A small grunt escaped from her lips as she settled herself on her knees, looking over the wound.

Instinct brought her other hand up towards it, willing the temperature to raise as to seal the wound shut, but the flames didn't come as commanded and the blood continued to flow. She was reminded then that she didn't actually command the forces of life and death any more or yet again, and she cursed herself for letting herself forget that.

Clutching the wound, she stood and waved off the guards that were rushing over to offer their support, and watched them walk inside after she gave each of them a very stern look. She wouldn't accept another person's help, wouldn't tolerate the humiliation of having another fire bender lend her the support of their abilities because she was without. Rather, she brought herself back into position for the start of her Katas, as to continue her training despite the injury.

She would command flame once more, and once she did, her body would be ready for it again. Her time in prison hadn't served her well. Even if she had months, she wouldn't be close to peak form. But it was her own weakness that got her here, and every injury, every pain, would add to that reminder. She would carry the weight of her own weakness in order to strengthen her.

"Worthless." A voice behind her. She sharply turned to berate the guard standing there, but instead found him gone. Her eyes widened as they settled on a figure, tall and proud, sharp face accented with wicked facial hair.

"Fa-father." She stammered, taking a slight step back. It wasn't fear. Not fear, but surprise. "Your dead. I know your dead." Her voice was something resembling a whisper, just barely coming out. She found it somewhat caught in herself.

"Surprised to see me, Azula?" He took a step forwards. His form wasn't the ragged figure she expected, not the imprisoned form she would have guessed at. Instead it was tall and regal as she had remembered him, wearing the royal robes and crown. His appearance filled her with something, and emotion she didn't quite expect. "No Azula. Your not rid of me. Who would rule my country then, you? Your brother. Please. Both of my _heirs_ are so worthless. If I was gone, this country would be nothing!"

"No. This is my country! My country!" She laughed as she took a step towards him now. Not a controlled, powerful laugh, but more of a crackle. A crazed laugh. "You have no right here. No right to rule. You lost to the Avatar, and through him lost to Zuko. But I'm beating Zuko. Beating you. I rule here now. Go back to whatever rock you crawled out from under."

His hand snapped out, too fast for her to follow this close, to fast for her to block or dodge with her body this weak. The sting shot through her face and upper body and knocked her side ways, sending her landing with a crash on her side. But still she continued to laugh. "You poor, disillusioned child. You think you can rule? Your a dog, only as good as the master holding your leash. Straighten up, masters home. You can't even Firebend, what do you expect to do?"

She growled, almost benefiting what he had called her and lashed out with her foot. The strike was easily avoided as Ozai backtracked a few feet and looked down on her with disdain. "If your calling that your claim to the throne old man, your sadly mistaken. Of the three of us only Zuko can fire bend. Are you saying hes better than us?"

It was Ozai's turn to laugh. Loud and proud, dominating and crushing. It sent a shiver through her soul.

"Yes. He's a much better dog than you now. I have no use for someone as worthless as you've become. Both of you bit the hand that fed you. At least he still has teeth!" He pulled back his his fist and struck out towards her. "But your sadly mistaken daughter, dog. Unlike you, I'm not so worthless."

Shock kept her from moving, had she even had the strength to do anything about it otherwise. As his fist lashed out towards her flames sprang to life around it and shot towards her. Instinctively she brought her arms up to protect herself, and felt the flames washing around burning them, her hair and felt the heat on her face.

A scream escaped her lips and she fell back, desperate for the pain to stop. As the smoke cleared she barely noticed that her father was gone and bit her lower lip, struggling to bring herself under control. Finally her guards emerged, on rushing off to search for whoever had assaulted her while the other ran over to help her. She batted away the offered hand and barely managed to stand, heading back for the open door. Hakoda wouldn't have came without a healer. That was something she was in desperate need of at the moment. This was a new revelation and would require a good deal of planning.

Father greatly upset her balance, but he was playing into her hand without realising it. If he made his move now, he could certainly gather enough support from both hers and Zuko's side to be a contender to the throne. Instead he seemed to be waiting for something, and that waiting gave her time to plan. She would show him that Firebending or not, he would regret underestimating _this -dog-._


	17. Ying

A/N: Hope you all enjoyed the last chapter (not that I would know), as well as this one. The stage is finally set and we can begin to get to the game.

….....................................................................

Meditation. A state of tranquility and thought, one that he found himself in more and more often these days. There was growing unease, growing unrest, within the Fire Nation and he knew that how it turned out would cause major fluctuations through the world. The only thing he was uncertain of was how he should proceed. His heart was telling him to back his friend, but he had learned in the past that listening to his heart could cause harm to the world.

His past lives were divided on the issue. All were in agreement that as the Avatar, it was his duty to insure the world came out unscathed, but on the issue as to what was to be done they were noticeable undecided as a whole. Most noticeable though, was Roku. As the great grand sire of both, his personal feelings were conflicted, even as a spirit of a previous avatar.

Of the two, Aang was sure that he supported Zuko. Zuko's intentions was pure, and his heart was in the right place. He was one of them, someone that wanted to save the world. On the other hand was Azula. Slightly crazy and vindictive, the damage her mind suffered because of her father was great, and he felt a good deal of Ozai in her. But she was more dangerous than Ozai, in her own way. While he was a warrior, Azula's mind made her more dangerous. Aang could combat Ozai directly. She wasn't so easy.

Part of what made her dangerous is why he was having trouble deciding what to do. The Fire Nation couldn't take over the world with military force. As long as he was around, it simply wasn't an option. But there were other things she could do, things that he couldn't directly interfere with and correct if she became the sole leader of the Fire Nation.

As much as it pained him to admit it, at the moment that was the correct term. Due to the control on the nation being divided, both Azula and Zuko had roughly equal power with regards to the nation as a whole, which made the situation all the more dangerous. If there was a clear majority either way, an outright conflict could be avoided. But with the line so thin, a civil war was a strong possibility.

A knock at his door brought his attention, and he came down and out of his meditation to greet his visitor. "Come in."

Amber hair along with the blues of her eyes and outfit were the first thing Aang's eyes took note of. Even before the realization of who he was looking at sat in, the emotion of love and admiration was already floating through him, cheering him up from the otherwise gray that the deliberations were bringing on him.

"I've repaired most of the damages, and shes starting to wake up." Pleasantries were skipped as she moved forwards and embraced him. "Oh Aang. I haven't seen injuries that bad since the war. If Sokka and Toph hadn't seen it first hand, I wouldn't have believed it." She pulled away for a moment and looked in his eyes. Slowly over the past year, Aang had grown, steadily catching up to Katara's hight. At this point they were at eye level, and he suspected he would soon be taller than her.

"Don't worry Katara. I'm sure these soldiers were just over acting. Even if she's wanted for murder in the Fire Nation, Zuko wouldn't send people out to kill her." In his heart this was the truth that he believed, but his mind betrayed him. Somewhere inside something held the possibility of quick retribution, and Aang was reminded of Zuko's adventure with Katara. He had the distinct feeling that she was recalling the same memory as he looked in her eyes.

She shook her head. "I don't know... either way. We can deal with that later. For now, she wants to speak with you. Apparently the entire reason shes outside the Fire Nation is to see you, and I'm inclined to believe her. Trying to find you wouldn't be a very good idea for someone running because of murder."

Aang nodded and hugged her once more before pulling away and walking past, out the door. It was in the realm of possibilities based on what he knew that Zuko could order something like this, but that not withstanding he couldn't make his decision based on it. After all, he couldn't decide something that would affect the entire world based on the harm caused to a single person. Even so, the conclusion would be something he would have to take into consideration.

Sunlight spilled over him as he found himself standing outside, the sound of fresh waves crashing against the shore nearby. He had chosen for them to stop in a small earthen village near the sea at Toph's suggestion. Her family had a villa in the location that she had been more than happy to let them use. Knowing her, her parents had no idea they were staying there, but it was the best option available. Sokka had advised him that returning Ty to Kiyoshi in this state wouldn't have sparked a pleasant reaction.

The room Ty Lee was staying in was just across the courtyard. Outside of it, Sokka and Toph were standing outside of it. While Sokka looked tense and uneasy, Toph looked almost excited. Aang knew her better than that, though. Things did get to her, even if she wasn't one to show them. He could tell that she was unsettled by the current state of events. Though he had no doubt she'd derive some pleasure from a conflict, he knew that the face of war would cause her more trouble than excitement.

Sokka raised his hand to stop Aang before he entered, his look somewhat sour. "I just got news from my father." His voice carried a note that caught Aang's attention, and his minds were temporarily lifted from the injured girl beyond. "I've been informed that should a civil war begin within the fire nation, neither myself nor Katara are to interfere. The Water Nation officially recognizes both Zuko and Azula..." He shook his head. "so whatever happens there is, in our tribes eyes, an issue that is to be left to the Fire Nation to work out."

Aang felt his heart drop a bit. If he had decided to interfere, he had been counting on his coitorie to be there to support him. Loosing Katara and Sokka as possible allies in that was a shattering thought. But, he had to accept it gracefully, and gave a slight nod. "If something does happen then, Sokka, I ask that you obey your tribes wishes, and make sure that Katara does the same. I don't want rifts being formed in other nations because of this." As much as it pained him to admit it, it might be for the better. If he could isolate the problem to the fire nation alone, it would be easier to deal with and, if things fell apart, the damage it caused would be much more limited. Even so. "May I ask why?"

Sokka shrugged. "Azula gave us what we wanted. The tribes been Negotiating with Zuko for most of the land that was lost earlier on during the hundred years war, but they had been getting the run around. As soon as Azula had power, she started giving back what her forces controlled." He sighed. "As far as our leaders are concerned, shes the better choice for us. They didn't have to deal with her much during the war, and some still carry scars from Zuko."

Aang nodded. He had no doubt that it was eliminating the possible intervention by the Water Tribes that had prompted her actions, but things played out for the better in his eyes as well do the the isolation it would cause. He knew Sokka would do what was in the best interests of his Nation, but Katara was a little more headstrong. If Aang decided to intervene, he knew that he would be hard pressed to stop her. "Ah. Well, if nothing else, its good to know shes not immidiately opening with attacks. I meant what I said though Sokka. Make sure you keep Katara from throwing herself into it."

Sokka nodded. "Yeah. I know. She's my sister, and you'll be my brother eventually. I trust you to handle the situation, and I'll convince her to do the same. Your right, the Water Tribes are in enough damage without getting dragged into another conflict caused by the Fire Nation. I don't trust Azula though. If she gets control over the country, I wouldn't be surprised if we were looking at another war once they get back up to strength."

Aang looked away. "Maybe. I can't say without talking to her myself Sokka, and even then I don't know if I can predict her well enough that I feel comfortable making a call. But remember, we gave Zuko a chance and he turned out pretty well. She was raised in the same environment that he was, but while he found himself outcast and away from his father, she remained. Any damages he suffered because of him are clearly worse in her. You got to see her for a few moments after the war. It wasn't pretty Sokka. Even if I wasn't worried about her intentions, I have to still be worried about her sanity."

Sokka was about to respond when Toph spoke up. "Right twinkle toes. If what the little acrobat in there says is true, she wasn't getting treated. Worse than that, she was basically being tortured. Even if she has no intention of causing problems, she might not be in any state to rule." She shook her head, eyes settling to look off in the distance as she "looked" at him with her ear. After a moment of seeming to collect her thoughts, she thrust her hand out towards him. "But I'll tell you this. I'm going with you when you talk to fire breeches. And if I don't like what I hear, he won't be in any state to rule either." She then jerked the hand towards the door. "Now get in there. We need to get moving."

She was right. Things in the Fire Nation were heating up quickly. If he was to be of any use in dealing with the situation he was going to have to make his presence known sooner than later. So, as soon as he finished speaking with Ty Lee, they would be heading in to the Fire Nation to confront both Zuko and Azula.

As he entered, he noticed that Ty Lee was sitting up, looking at the door. Her usual clothing was discarded, and instead her entire torso from waist to just under her neck was wrapped in bandages. Even healing with water bending could do so much at once. Katara had told him it would probably take most of the trip to the fire nation to get her mostly healthy again.

She greeted him with a smile. "Hey Aang." She was cheerful, but he could see the scars that were starting to form on her personality. He hoped that if things started working out they would mend themselves, but even at this point there were no guarantees that she would be as carefree as she had been. And he knew that regardless, her innocence had been lost. "I mean...thank you for seeing me, avatar. Azula's always telling me I need to try and be more formal sometimes."

He shook his head. "We're friends Ty Lee. You don't need to be formal with me, even if I am the avatar." He sighed. "I'm sorry we have to skip the formalities, but we need to be heading to the Fire Nation soon." Judging by her reaction, she wasn't upset. She actually seemed rather relieved by the news.

"I'm glad we'll be heading back soon. I need to get back to Azula. I need to get you back to Azula. We have to get her out of there, they can't keep treating her like an animal. Its not right...Aang. Its not right to do that to anyone." She was very obviously disturbed, but he found himself hitting on something. She wasn't lying, that much was very obvious. Ty Lee had no idea Azula was out, and her concern was genuine. There was no doubt in Aang's mind that she was innocent of the accused crimes.

"Well, thats not the issue, not any more at least Ty Lee. Azula escaped from prison shortly after you left and with the help of some supporters took control of about half of your home country." Her reaction confirmed it. Shock, disbeleif, even a little fear. And then sadness and disappointment.

"She wouldn't, I mean." She looked away. "I can understand, I guess. I mean, I heard from a bunch of people that they didn't think Zuko was doing a good job...and the way he treated her, well, Zula holds grudges, you know? And she might even be right to this time. But its my fault things are like this. If I had been able to get to you faster, you could have gotten back before she felt she had to do that."

He shook his head. "No. It was only a little bit after you left. They haven't told us exactly what happened, but some how someone busted her out of where ever she was being held. They said you had something to do with it, and the attempted murders on Fire Lord Zuko and the former Fire Lord Ozai."

Fear came into her eyes quickly. "No. I didn't. I mean I couldn't. I wouldn't ever kill anyone, especially not like that." His eyes must have reflected his belief in her, as she calmed down as quick as she started up.

But there was a question he had to ask. "Not even for Azula?"

Her mouth opened for a quick response, but then closed. Her eyes drifted and she became clearly confused. She hadn't given any thought to the question before, that was certain, and given the time it seemed to be one of great weight to her. "I don't...I mean, there would always be a better option. I'd find a way to make things alright without that." She trailed of for a moment in thought again. "But...I think I could kill someone, if I had to, to save her life."

He nodded, but he couldn't blame her. While he had been able to completely void himself of the sin of taking another life, he didn't expect anyone else to do the same, especially with regards to people that they deeply cared for. "I believe you, Ty Lee. And I don't think Azula would involve you in anything like that if she had a hand in it. I'm sure she has others much more willing to do things like that."

Ty Lees response was just another nod and thoughtful eyes, maybe a slight hint of disappointment.

"You'll be under our protection until we get you back to the Fire Nation. While normally my impartiality would require me to turn you over to Zuko for a proper trial, given the state of events that happened to you on your way here, I feel its within my right to declare you my charge for humanitarian reasons. Once we get there...well, you can either remain safely with us, or go back to Azula. But I already know your decision."

Again, another nod, but this time there were tears forming in her eyes. "Thank you Aang. Thank you so much for helping me, for taking me back to her. And for trying to help the country. Zula's not a bad person, shes really not. If you just talk to her, you'll see that. And if anyone can get her and Zuko to stop peacefully, its you."

He offered her a slight smile, but it was uncertain at best. "I wish I could tell you I can do it, but theres so much damage and mistrust there. I'm not sure if its even possible to fix them. But I'll do my best." Zuko hated his sister for many reasons. Aang was pretty good at understanding people, empathizing, but actually analyzing them was a different story. So while he understood how Zuko felt, he only had a vague idea of why.

He spent a few more minutes in her room talking to her, but left quickly. Things had to be taken care of before they headed to the fire nation. His footsteps had carried him about half way back to his room before he felt an odd feeling creeping through his body. It was as though his senses were very slowly fading away, until after a few moments the entire world was nothing more than a black void around him.

He suppressed his shock and what little fear he was still capable of feeling for himself and faced the darkness with resolve. Resolve faded to shock as Avatar Roku materialized out of the darkness before him.

"I apologize for dragging you here this abruptly." He said, his wise eyes boring through Aang. The young monk knew better than to question his elder or even speak. For him to be so drastic something must be of vital importance. "A great disturbance has swept through both the spirit world and your own. I'm sure you've felt the tingling of it in the back of your mind, but its recently accelerated. I fear that a time of great strife and turmoil may be coming."

Aang looked at the older man with concern. "Do you know anything more, Avatar Roku?"

The wise man shook his head. "I know little, but I have my suspicions, as well as the collective reasoning of all your previous lives. More so than ever before, the balance of the world has suffered some dramatic shifts over the past hundred years. I think the imbalance that its caused has slowly started to cause strain in both, and maybe even between, the worlds. I bring you you this advice Avatar Aang: Be weary of the world around you, the line between our worlds is rapidly fluctuating, and as a few of your incarnations will warn you, some of the things on this side are dangerous even to you. If they escape into the world, I fear all will be lost."

Aang nodded and slightly gulped. This was entirely the wrong time for this. He didn't even have his full attention to turn to it, and the issue in Fire could heighten the imbalance further. "How do I fix it, Avatar Roku?"

Another shake of the head. "I do not know. We do not know. Something drastic must be done to restore order, but as you learned with your encounter with the lion turtle, the Avatar has not always been. Some of the secrets of the world lay outside even our knowledge. I will do what I can to gather information from friendly spirits as I can, Young Avatar."

Another nod from Aang. "I appreciate the warning and your vigilance Avatar Roku. I will do my best to do what I can in the material world."

Roku offered to him a slightly bow before the world slowly came back into view, finding him standing where he was before with only a few moments seeming to have passed. Knowledge in his mind to be weary, he began making preparations for how to deal with both situations.


End file.
